Partners
by FaithinBones
Summary: Booth wakes up after surgery to find out that three and a half years are missing from his memory. This story takes place after the "End in the Beginning" and is AU. (Hannah will not be making an appearance in this story)
1. Chapter 1

JBCFlyers19, mendenbar, elmasuz, DorothyOz, daisesndaffidols, Sara, PLK Susie and Nertooold54 wanted me to continue the story idea I used in chapter 68 of my story "Personal Effects".

Since "A Broken Wing" is written and will finish next week, I don't think adding a new story to my list would be too much trouble. This chapter is a repost of chapter 68 of "Personal Effects". Chapter 2 is a continuation of the story.

This takes place after "The End in the Beginning". This story is definitely AU.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

He'd been asleep and dreamt a dream like no other. This dream gave him all that he'd ever wanted. He had friends that loved him, an interesting job and the most important thing of all, he had a wife, someone who loved him and cared if he lived or died.

When he'd awakened he'd found himself in a world he wasn't sure he wanted anymore. He had opened his eyes to find himself looking at the one he loved and knew wasn't his. Looking into her face he found himself facing a dilemma. She was his wife in his dream; but, awake he knew her as the anthropologist that helped him get justice for Gemma Arrington. After they had finished that case they had fought and in the end she had told him that she hated him and never wanted to work with him again.

How did his life become so screwed up?

Oooooooooooooooooooo

He awoke and seeing her looming over him, he had asked her, "Who are you?"

Stunned, Brennan stared at her partner and best friend and found herself speechless. Trying to overcome the fright his words gave her, she leaned over him and asked, "Booth, don't you know me?"

Sighing, Booth looked at Brennan's panicked face and answered, "Yes, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. You're Dr. Temperance Brennan. You work at the Jeffersonian."

Relieved, Brennan smiled, "Thank goodness. I was afraid that your memory had become faulty. Brain surgery can affect memory sometimes. Some times temporarily and some time permanently."

Puzzled, Booth asked, "Where am I? It looks like I'm in a hospital. Was I shot?"

Frowning, Brennan answered, "You had brain surgery. You had a small tumor and had to have it removed. It wasn't malignant; so, you will make a full recovery."

Frightened, Booth blurted out, "A brain tumor? I had a brain tumor?"

Nodding her head, Brennan tried to reassure Booth, "Yes; but, it wasn't malignant. It was a benign tumor. You are going to be ok, Booth."

A little afraid and yet strangely comforted, Booth stared at Brennan, "I don't understand. Why are you here?"

Shaking her head, Brennan stared at Booth, "I'm not sure what you mean."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "I don't understand why you're visiting me in the hospital. The last time we talked you slapped me and called me a bully and you told me that you didn't want to work with me."

Feeling faint, Brennan asked, "Booth, I'm not sure I understand. What was the last case you remember us working on together?"

Puzzled, Booth answered, "We've only ever worked on one case together, Dr. Brennan. You helped me prove that Judge Hasty killed Gemma Arrington. I'd have liked to work with you on more cases; but, you refuse to take my phone calls."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Brennan backed away from the bed. Finally stopping, Brennan found herself near the doorway to the room. Afraid, Brennan leaned down, picked up her purse and lap top and left the room.

Booth watching her reaction to his words, felt confused and afraid. "What the Hell is going on?"

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth had been alone for about an hour when Cam walked into the room. Relieved, Booth exclaimed, "Cam, thank God. You need to tell me what's going on."

Puzzled, Cam walked across the room, her eyes flicking around the room, "Booth, I thought Dr. Brennan was here. If I'd known she was going to leave, I would have come sooner. How long have you been alone?"

Shaking his head, Booth begged, "Cam you need to tell me why she was here. She wouldn't tell me. She just ran away. She said I had a brain tumor; but, it's not fatal and then I asked her why she was visiting me in the hospital and then she just ran away. What the Hell is going on?"

A little frightened, Cam asked, "Booth, I'm not sure what you're saying. Why wouldn't Dr. Brennan be here? She's your partner and as far as I know, you're best friend. Why wouldn't she be here?"

Swallowing, Booth closed his eyes and clenched his fists, "Cam, I don't know what you're talking about. Dr. Brennan hates me. The last time I talked to her she called me a bully and said she'd never work with me again. She's refused every call I've made to her for the last seven months. I thought she was supposed to be coming back from Guatemala in a couple of days and I'd made arrangements with a buddy of mine in Homeland Security to help me get close enough to her to talk to her about Cleo Eller . . . Wait how come you're here? I thought you were in New York again?"

Swallowing, Cam ran her right hand across her mouth, "Booth there's something wrong with your memory. You worked on the Cleo Eller case about three and half years ago."

Placing his hands across his eyes, Booth whispered, "Oh God."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

A little twist in a perfectly good story. What can I say?


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the encouragment. I really appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

They kept telling him that he was missing three and a half years of his life. That hole they had put in his head had stolen time from him, memories from him and he didn't know what to do about it. Booth couldn't get his mind around the fact that he had been working with Dr. Temperance Brennan for three and a half years. What made it worse was a kid claiming to be a psychologist said that Temperance was his best friend as well as his partner.

He didn't have a partner. He hadn't worked with a partner since his army days. He was a loner and he didn't work well with others. Now he had a partner and not just any partner. His partner was Dr. Temperance Brennan. The last memory he had of her was of her slapping him and saying she'd never work with him again. What was he supposed to do about that?

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

His grandfather had visited the day after Booth had awakened from his surgery and clearly had been upset that his grandson was missing so much time in his memory. Hank had tried to tell Booth about the many things that happened in the past three and a half years; but, the more he spoke the more Booth had become agitated. Frustrated with the situation himself, Hank had left, promising to see his grandson the next day. Hank planned to visit with his grandson each day until Booth was released from the hospital. Once Booth was released, he planned to move into Booth's apartment and take care of him until he was well enough to return to work.

Booth hadn't wanted to be a burden to his grandfather; but, Hank was adamant. Booth wasn't going to be given a choice. Clearly his life was being controlled by others and Booth couldn't stop it.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Cam had taken it upon herself to give Booth a crash course about the missing years in his life. Bringing pictures and documents to the hospital, Cam had shown him the faces of the people he worked with now. She provided their names and what they did. She explained how they worked with him. She'd explained that he was the liaison between the Jeffersonian and the FBI and that Dr. Temperance Brennan, the most important Anthropologist in the country was his partner. Cam had brought copies of reports showing the successful cases that he and his partner had solved.

What really blew him away was the fact that he was in charge of Major Crimes. He had his own office and a lot of agents worked for him. A little uneasy, he felt like he was an actor in a play. They had thrown a script at him and told him that he was going to play a part and he didn't have time to study the part or even refuse the role.

As the days crept by, he became more confused and angry. He was being pulled towards a destiny he didn't know he had and everyone he met insisted that he had to go along with it.

When Booth had finally had time to think about his son, he'd asked Cam if he could borrow her phone.

Reluctant, Cam had given him her phone and watched him call Rebecca. Hearing only one side of the conversation, Cam heard enough to feel sick for Booth. Rebecca felt that it would be best that Booth waited to see Parker. Rebecca had been told by Hank Booth that Booth was having a memory problem and she didn't want to upset Parker. Clearly, Rebecca didn't care if she upset Booth.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth had been in the hospital for five days and he was finally being discharged. He felt fine and didn't have a problem being released. What he worried about was the fact that he had a large gap in his memory and his doctor wasn't sure if it was temporary or permanent. If it was temporary, no one knew if it was just a short term problem or a long term problem. The kid, Lance Sweets had tried to explain it to him; but, Booth had grown angry at the uncertainty and demanded that the kid leave his room. He didn't want some child he didn't know giving him advice or telling him that it would be alright when clearly it wasn't.

After dressing, Booth had sat down on his bed and waited for someone to tell him that he could leave. He planned to get a cab and go home. At least his home was still his home. He'd made sure of that.

Staring at the far wall, not moving, Booth didn't realize he had company until Brennan interrupted his thoughts.

"I have your release forms. You can go home now."

Startled, Booth turned to stare at Brennan, "Uh . . . Thanks."

Standing, Booth walked over towards Brennan and held his hand out for the forms. A nurse, walking into the room with a wheelchair in tow, pointed to the chair, "Ok, Mr. Booth, if you'll hop on board, we'll go down to the lobby and then you can be on your way."

Sighing, Booth stared at the chair, "I don't need a chair."

Shaking her head, Nurse Smythe replied, "Sorry, hospital policy."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth sat on the chair and folded his arms across his chest.

Brennan following Booth and the nurse watched the look of frustration on Booth's face.

Arriving at the lobby, Brennan smiled, "I'll go get my car and bring it around. Booth you wait here and I'll be right back."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "I'm going to get a cab."

Frowning, Brennan stared at Booth's clenched hands, "There is no need to hire a cab when I'm here and I'm willing to take you home."

Staring intently at Brennan, Booth shrugged his shoulders, "Sure."

Flicking her eyes at the nurse, Brennan left the lobby to retrieve her car.

Nurse Smythe smiling at Booth, commented, "Your friend is very nice."

Staring at the lobby entrance, Booth remarked, "She isn't my friend."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

So, what do you think about this story idea? Do you want me to continue? Let me know? For those of you who don't know my writing history, I am a big B&B shipper. This story will start out sad; but, it will not end that way. Also, I don't abandon stories. It may take me awhile to arrive at the end; but, there will be an end.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for giving my story a chance. Thanks for all of the reviews and follows.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The drive to his apartment had been done in silence. Booth wasn't sure what to say and Brennan wasn't sure either. Booth found himself in a strange position. As far as he was concerned, he'd been trying to get Temperance Brennan to talk to him for the last seven months and had failed. He really wanted to work with her and he'd been planning to use chicanery to get to her when she came back from Guatemala. Now everyone was telling him that not only were they working together, they were successful. They'd closed cases that appeared to be impossible and both he and Brennan were a well respected partnership. He just couldn't see how they went from her hating him to being best friends. He needed time and he needed space. He wasn't getting either one of those things and it was causing him a lot of emotional turmoil.

Arriving at his apartment building, Brennan had parked across the street from the building and had insisted on escorting him up to his apartment. Once he was actually standing outside of his apartment door, Booth had realized that he didn't have a key to his apartment.

Brennan seeing the worried look on his face as he held the doorknob in his hand tapped Booth on his arm, "I have your keys."

Looking down, Booth saw his keys and his wallet in Brennan's left hand. Reaching out slowly, Booth plucked his property from her hand. Quietly turning back to face the door, Booth inserted the key into the lock and unlocked the door. Relieved that something was working right, Booth opened the door and entered his apartment. Not sure what to do about Brennan, Booth ignored her and walked down the hallway. Studying the living room as he entered it, Booth found that something was wrong. Moving his eyes around the room, Booth discovered that he had a bigger TV in the room. There were new odds and ends on his walls and in his bookcases. His sofa was the same but the recliner was new. Feeling a little disoriented, Booth sat down on the couch and leaned back. Closing his eyes, Booth rubbed the sides of his face and then opened his eyes again.

Brennan following Booth into the living room watched him flick his eyes around. She'd noticed his startled look when he'd seen the TV and the recliner; but, wasn't sure what to tell him. He had a burden that only he could carry and though she wanted to help him, she didn't know how. She was afraid that anything she said would just make the situation worse.

Sitting on the couch, Brennan tried anyway, "I called Hank to let him know that you were being discharged from the hospital. He said he'll be here soon. He has to pack a bag and stop his mail. He asked me to stay here until he gets here."

Staring at Brennan, Booth replied, "I'm ok, you don't have to hang around if you have something else you need to do."

Shaking her head, Brennan smiled, "No, I'm free today. I took the day off. I was planning to take a trip Guatemala this week; but, I've decided to stay home instead."

Nodding his head, Booth stood up and walked into his kitchen. Noticing new photos on his fridge, Booth pulled one away from its magnet holder and looked at the picture closely. The picture was very disturbing. Brennan, who had followed Booth into the kitchen, noticed his hands trembling.

"That picture was taken at the zoo last month. It was Parker's birthday and we spent the day at the Zoo and then at the bowling alley."

Staring at the picture, Booth saw his son, a son who appeared to be at least three years older than the last time he'd seen him. Parker had his right arm around Brennan's neck and they were both laughing. His hands starting to shake harder, Booth grabbed the picture with both hands and stared intently at it.

Looking up from his picture, Booth licked his lips, "This is Parker?"

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "Yes, he's growing up into a very fine young man."

His hands still shaking, Booth placed the picture back on the fridge door and then shoved his hands into his pockets. Turning around, Booth walked past Brennan and out of the kitchen. His head down, Booth walked across the living room and then into his bedroom. Turning, Booth removed his hands from his pockets and closed the door behind him.

Brennan, watching a very frightened Booth enter his bedroom sighed and sat down on the couch. She needed to talk to Hank.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Hank had arrived at Booth's apartment as soon as he could. When he'd arrived, he'd found Brennan in the living room and his grandson in his bedroom. Walking into the apartment, Hank carried his two pieces of luggage over to the couch and placed them in the corner of the couch. Staring at the closed door, Hank commented, "I was planning on Seeley staying with me; but, with his memory problem I thought it would be better if he's surrounded by his stuff and not my stuff."

Nodding her head, Brennan stood up. "Booth became very agitated when he saw a picture of Parker. I don't think he really believed us when we told him that he was missing three and half years from his memories. I'm afraid the photo made his situation real and it frightened him."

Sighing, Hank sitting on the recliner, stared up at Brennan, "I'd piss my pants if someone told me that three years had been erased from my memory."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan smiled at Hank, "Would you like me to stay for awhile. I can."

Shaking his head, Hank sighed again, "Thanks Temperance. I think it'd be best if we give Seeley some quiet time right now. He's got a lot to think about and I think it would probably be better if we give him some room."

Nodding her head, Brennan leaned over and picked up her purse. Opening it, she withdrew Booth's gun and badge. Handing them to Hank, Brennan then turned and walked around the couch. Glancing back at Booth's closed bedroom door, Brennan walked down the hallway and opened the door. Sighing, Brennan walked out of Booth's apartment, closing the door behind her.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Is this interesting? Let me know what you think about this story. Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for all of the reviews and follows. I appreciate them all.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth lay on his bed. He'd been in his room for a few hours and the quiet of the room was starting to press in on him. The picture of Parker had been a shock and the fact that his son had been enjoying the company of Brennan was startling. He had always kept his private life private; but, obviously something must have happened to make him change his mind. Booth had been furious that Rebecca had refused to bring Parker to the hospital to see him; but, now he was thankful that she had refused. He hated to think what would have happened if Parker had walked into the hospital room. Booth would have been unprepared for what he would have seen and he probably would have frightened his son when the boy had seen his reaction. As it was, he now had time to get used to the fact that his son was three years older than his last memory of him.

Sighing, Booth sat up and placed his forearms on his knees. Looking down, Booth stared unseeing at the carpet at his feet.

"I don't know how I'm going to do this; but, I've got to find away to survive this."

Hank, worried that his grandson was frightened of the events that were being thrust upon him, gave him space and time for awhile. Finally, after three hours of silence, Hank walked over to the bedroom door and opened it. Peering into the room, Hank saw his grandson, sitting on the edge of his bed.

Walking into the room, Hank walked over towards the bed, "Seeley? . . . Seeley?"

Booth, turning his head, stared at his grandfather. "Yeah, Pops. . . Do you need something?"

Shaking his head, Hank sighed, "Shrimp, I know you've been dealt a bad hand; but, you've got to think about the positive side of this mess. . . That brain tumor wasn't malignant. You made it through surgery and even though you're sensitive to anesthesia you woke up. . . You're going to be ok. We just need to figure out what to do with this memory thing you got."

Sitting up straight, Booth placed his hands on his knees. "I'm scared Pops. I mean so far it looks like I might be missing some memory; but, what if it's worse than that?"

Shaking his head, Hank asked, "I don't know what you mean son. What else are you worried about?"

Licking his lips, Booth swallowed, "What if I don't know how to be a cop anymore? What if I've forgotten how to be a cop? What will I do if that's true? All I know is being a cop and a sniper? . . . What if I don't know how to do my job any more and I can't shoot either. I mean I think I can still shoot; but, what if I can't. What would be left? What would I do?"

Sighing, Hank replied, "Don't invite trouble, Seeley. You don't know if that's a problem. You're starting to worry about stuff that might not be true. We need to concentrate on stuff that's real not what might be. . . Don't go down that rabbit hole, Seeley. You may not be able to climb back out it."

Standing up, Booth stared at his grandfather. Nodding his head, Booth remarked, "Yeah you're right. I've got to deal with what I know is wrong."

Nodding his head, Hank asked, "Want some dinner? I was thinking about grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup."

Smiling, Booth replied, "Sure Pops. That sounds good."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Later that night, Booth tossed and turned in his bed. Finally, sleep overtook his exhausted body and mind.

_Walking into bones storage, Booth smiled to see his partner staring intently at a small bone in her right hand. He loved how she could zone out and stare so intently at things like bones. It showed him her passion and damn, she just looked so cute sometimes. He'd never tell her that; but, still, he appreciated that his partner was a beautiful woman and she was his partner. Yep, all was right with the world and he damn well knew it._

_Standing next to Brennan, Booth clapped his hands together, "Chop, chop, Bones. We've got a case."_

_Looking up, Brennan frowned, "We just finished a case."_

_Using his charm smile, Booth stared at this partner, "Yeah, I know; but, some guy found a body in his back yard when he started breaking ground for a swimming pool and the Richmond cops want us to take the case. I was told that all's left is a skeleton and they don't know if they have a crime on their hands or not."_

_Placing the small bone in a box sitting on the table, Brennan nodded her head, "I hope it isn't another old family cemetery. We've had two of those in the last month. You would think that land owners would know the history of the land that they buy."_

_Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "Well, not everyone is as diligent as you are Bones. That's why the Richmond Police need someone like you. You can tell them if they have a victim of a crime on their hands or not. You're the best and they know it."_

_Nodding her head, Brennan smiled, "Yes, I am."_

_Laughing, Booth waited for Brennan to pack up the rest of the bones and place them in the box so they could leave._

Sliding the box onto it's assigned shelf, Brennan turned towards Booth, "_Booth, on the way, we need to stop by the Diner so I can get a sandwich to go. I skipped lunch again."_

_Shaking his head, Booth admonished his partner, "Bones, how many times do I have to tell you that you can't do that? What am I going to do with you? Huh?"_

_Ooooooooooooooooooooooo_

Waking up, Booth rubbed his face. Puzzled, Booth asked himself, "What the Hell was that about?"

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

I hope you're still interested in my story. Let me know what you think of it so far. Thanks.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for reading my story and reviewing it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Booth had not been happy when Lance Sweets had showed up at his door the next day. Booth had been on the internet looking up topics of interest that had happened in the last three and half years. He had looked up the Presidency to see who was President of the United States. He'd checked to see how his Flyers and Phillies had done. He'd check out random headlines in the Washington Post and USA Today.

He'd also Googled Temperance Brennan's name and his own. They were both mentioned in newspaper articles. Him for being responsible for capturing a serial killer named Howards Epps amongst others. That particular piece of news had been upsetting to him. Howard Epps had been on death row and then according to the news article his execution had been postponed and later he'd escaped from prison. Booth had not been happy to see that he had been responsible for Epps's death. That just seemed so messed up to him.

Walking in to Booth's apartment, Sweets had introduced himself to Hank Booth and told him why he was there. Walking into the living room, Sweets had found Booth on the internet and had been curious.

"So Agent Booth, I see you're on the internet. Are you checking out what's happened in the last three years? That's a good place to start. I commend you on your initiative."

Frowning, Booth turned around to see who was talking to him. Seeing the kid shrink, Booth replied, "Why the hell are you here?"

Smiling, Sweets clasped his hands in front of him, "I'm a FBI psychologist. If you ever want to return to duty then I'll be the one that has to sign off on it. . . . You're missing three and half years from your memory. That it is a very traumatic event for anyone. I'm here to help you."

Staring at Sweets, Booth finally responded, "Do you know of a way to get my memory back?"

Pushing his bottom lip out a little, Sweets replied, "I don't know if that will be possible. I talked to your surgeon and he isn't sure if your condition is temporary or permanent. I'm here to help you just in case your condition is permanent. You need to be able to navigate with that hole in your memory and I can help you do that."

Turning back around, Booth logged out of his PC. Staring at his screen, Booth remarked, "I want to be left alone."

Shaking his head, Sweets stared at the back of Booth's head, "If you want to return to the FBI then you'll have to talk to me. Don't you want to return?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "I don't know. I haven't decided yet."

Puzzled, Sweets asked, "If you don't return to the FBI then what would you do?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Booth continued to stare at his PC screen, "I can always go back in to the army. I'm probably still a good shot, I don't see why I would forget how to shoot. I was a damn good sniper in the Army and I could still do that."

Shaking his head, Sweets replied, "You don't want to do that. You love your job at the FBI. You're great at that job. You can't give up just because you have a little memory problem. I can help you. You have friends that want to help you. Dr. Brennan needs you. If you'll . . . "

Standing up, Booth turned around and confronted Sweets, "Don't tell me what I can and can't do. I'm not a kid. These friends you say I have, I don't know them. I don't know any of them except Cam. How am I supposed to trust these people when I don't know them? You tell me that Dr. Brennan needs me; but, she hates me or she did hate me, I . . ."

Feeling himself ready to explode, Booth walked across the living room and entered his bedroom. Slamming the door behind him, Booth threw himself onto his bed.

Hank, watching Booth flee the room, shook his head, "Sorry, Doc. Maybe you can come back tomorrow."

Nodding his head, Sweets replied, "Yes, of course. Agent Booth needs time to think about his options. I'll come back tomorrow morning at around nine. It worries me that he wants to give up on the FBI if his memory problem is permanent. He loves the FBI. He's great at his job and his friendship with Dr. Brennan is very strong. If he leaves the FBI he'll be leaving her and I don't think that would be good for him or for her. They have a special bond. I don't think leaving the FBI is really an option."

Walking towards the door to the apartment, Sweets asked, "Can I help you Mr. Booth? Do you have any questions that you'd like to ask me? It doesn't have to be about Agent Booth. It can be about anything you want to talk about."

Shaking his head, Hank replied, "Nope, not yet. This is still new to me too."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

After dinner, Booth had spent most of the evening on the internet. Feeling himself growing tired, Booth finally retired for the night.

_He was ice skating with Brennan. He thought it was funny that she was so terrible at it. She was usually good at everything; so, he'd been pleased to find something that he was good at and she wasn't. She was holding onto his arm and he could tell she was nervous._

"_Hey you know what? Forget about Agent Perotta, all right? Nothings going to change between you and me."_

_Looking at Booth while she held onto his arm, Brennan replied, "Well entropy is a natural force that pulls everything apart at a subatomic level. Everything changes._

_Looking at her fondly, Booth responded, "Not everything Bones."_

_After being pushed a little away from Booth, Brennan laughed, "You're going to make me fall."_

_Catching up with her, Booth took Brennan's hand and pulled her along, "I'm never going to make you fall. I'm always here."_

Oooooooooooooooooo

Waking slowly, Booth lay still, thinking about his dream. "Who's Agent Perotta?"

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 

So how am I doing?


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you for reading my story.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Booth had slept late. He didn't seem to have any urgency in getting up early or getting up at all. He'd woke up a dawn and tried to remember the things he felt that he should know. The dreams he'd had seemed to be the key to his memory. They felt like memories that he didn't seem to recall before the dreams; so, Booth was sure that they were some of the memories that he had supposedly lost. Recalling the two very vivid dreams, Booth attempted to place them in a time frame; but, soon found out that he couldn't do it. Feeling a headache coming on, Booth had risen from his bed, snagged a couple of Advil from the bathroom and after taking them had lain down again. Soon sleep had overtaken him.

_Booth was holding a gun against someone's head, the man looked dangerous and Booth felt great anger towards the man._

"_You put a hit out on my partner?"_

_The man didn't seem afraid and that made Booth angrier. The man's response was the wrong thing to say, "She's not FBI."_

_Feeling his anger turn cold, Booth responded, "I never said anything about FBI. She's my partner and if anything happens to her I will find you and I will kill you." _

_Feeling a deep rage building up to the point of insanity, Booth forced the barrel of his gun into the man's mouth, "I won't think twice. Look at my eyes, look at my face. . . If anything happens to her I will kill you. This is between you and me, nobody sees, nobody knows. . . . You got nothing to prove. You understand? You understand?"_

_Seeing the man finally show the fear that Booth was seeking, Booth removed the gun from the man's mouth, "Yeah, I thought so. Now if you don't mind I'll leave first because I have somewhere I have to be."_

_ooooooooooooooooooooooo_

Sweets arriving at the apartment at 9 a.m. was surprised to find that Booth was still in his bed. "Mr. Booth, I don't think it's wise to let Agent Booth sleep so much. I'd like to wake him up and talk to him."

Shrugging his shoulders, Hank stepped aside and let Sweets into the apartment. Sweets, walking down the hallway noticed the nostalgic items that Booth had on the walls. Entering the living room, Sweets saw that Booth's bedroom door was closed. Looking over his shoulder, Sweets smiled at Hank and then opened the bedroom door. Walking into the bedroom, Sweets found Booth sprawled across his bed, taking up most of the space.

Bending over the bed, Sweets placed his hand on Booth's shoulder to shake him awake. Booth, still in the midst of his dream, felt danger touch his arm. Leaping from his bed, Booth grabbed Sweets and placed him into a head lock against the bedroom wall.

Sweets understanding that Booth was still partially asleep and that his life was now in danger didn't move or say anything.

Hank standing in the doorway, called out to Booth, "Seeley, wake up. Seeley, you need to wake up son."

Booth, escaping his dream, his eyes focusing, realized that he was holding the kid shrink against the wall of his bedroom and not the dangerous man in his dreams. Releasing Sweets, Booth stepped back and asked, "What the Hell are you doing here?"

Rubbing his neck, Sweets took in a deep breath, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have touched you while you were asleep. That was a very stupid thing to do. I apologize."

Folding his arms across his chest, Booth repeated his question, "I asked you what are you doing here?"

Staring at Booth with a little sadness, Sweets replied, "You need help Agent Booth. I'm here to help you. Sleeping isn't the answer to your problem. We need to develop a plan for your future just in case your memory problem is permanent. I can help you learn some coping mechanisms that would help you greatly."

Scratching his right hand, Booth shook his head, "I think you and that doctor that operated on me are full of shit. I'm going to get my memory back and I don't need your help."

Puzzled, Sweets asked, "What makes you so sure that you'll get your memory back? While it is true that this problem may only be temporary, we don't know how temporary. Can you really wait for six months or for six years for your memory to come back? You need to function now. You need to be able to operate in the here and now. If you get your memory back then that's great; but, until you do, you need to be able to function. I want to help you do that."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "I don't need your help. I can function fine. I need you to leave me alone."

Angry that Booth wasn't seeing the big picture, Sweets gestured towards Booth's bed, "This is how you plan to cope? Are you planning on sleeping your life away while your Grandfather watches your health decline and you die young? Is that what you want to do? That's not the Seeley Booth I know. The Seeley Booth I know is a very brave man who will fight to his last breath when the odds are against him."

Sneering, Booth replied, "I don't know you and you don't know me. I don't need a twelve year old boy to tell me what to do and I sure as hell don't need that boy trying to use psychology on me. I've dealt with shrinks in the Army. You don't even come close to the scary shit that they can put you through."

Shaking his head, Sweets grimly stared at his friend, "I am not trying to manipulate you. I am offering you my help and the Seeley Booth I know would take it."

Laughing, Booth turned and walked towards the bathroom. "I don't think so, Ace. I don't trust you." Walking into the bathroom, Booth closed the door behind him.

Turning to look at Hank, Sweets sighed, "God he is so stubborn."

Laughing, Hank replied, "If you know him as well as you claim you do then you'd know that stubbornness is one of his strong character traits. When he wants to he has the patience of Job. He could watch a flower grow if he had to. Believe me, if you want Seeley to do something he doesn't want to do then you'll have to outlast him. You'd better have the patience to match his."

Nodding his head, Sweets replied, "Oh I have a lot of patience when I need it. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth was eating a late breakfast when he heard a knock on his apartment door. Motioning for Hank to remain seated, Booth stood up and walked to the door. Opening it, Booth was surprised to find himself facing Temperance Brennan.

Puzzled, Booth asked, "What are you doing here?"

A little nervous, Brennan replied, "Dr. Sweets had advised me that I should stay away from you for awhile; but, I really don't think that is warranted. I want to talk to you and I didn't want to do it over the phone. . . . Will you invite me in?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth stepped aside and watched her enter his apartment.

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Still interesting? Curious? Le me know what you think of my story so far.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the reviews and follows. I appreciate them very much.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Walking into the apartment, Brennan noticed that Booth kept glancing back at her as they walked down the short hallway to the living room. Walking over to where the TV was, Booth stopped and turned to face Brennan.

Folding his arms across his chest, Booth asked, "What can I do for you Dr. Brennan?"

A little sad, Brennan replied, "You normally call me Bones."

Shaking his head, Booth remarked, "As I recall the only time I tried to call you Bones, you told me not to."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan responded, "Yes; but, once we started working together again after our first case you ignored my wishes and called me Bones anyway. I have grown to like the nickname. You are the only one I've ever known who actually made up a nickname for me, well besides my father."

Glancing over at his grandfather who was standing in the kitchen doorway, Booth looked back at Brennan, "What can I do for you?"

Pointing at the couch, Brennan asked, "May I sit down?"

Frowning, Booth replied, "If you want to."

Sitting down, Brennan pointed to the recliner, "I'd like to talk to you if I may."

Sighing, Booth walked over to the recliner and sat down. Staring at the coffee table, Booth waited.

Seeing that Booth wasn't going to make it easy for her, Brennan cleared her throat. "First, I wish to apologize for leaving you alone when you first woke up in the hospital. I was . . . I was disconcerted when you appeared not to remember that I'm your partner and your friend."

Grimacing Booth, replied, "Yeah, sure. I probably would have done the same thing if it had been me hearing that someone I know didn't really know me."

Smiling, Brennan nodded her head, "Thank you. I want you to know who I am."

Puzzled, Booth turned to look at Brennan, "I know who you are."

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "You know I am Dr. Temperance Brennan. I want you to understand that you are also my best friend and my partner."

Slowly shaking his head, Booth asked, "How is that possible? After the Gemma Arrington case you told me you hated me. How did I turn into your best friend?"

A little nervous, Brennan placed her purse on the coffee table, "Maybe if I tell you a little of our history together it may help you understand our relationship."

Rubbing his nose, Booth leaned forward, "Ok, go ahead."

Seeing Booth paying close attention, Brennan began, "You arranged to rescue me from Homeland Security several months after our first case together. You arranged to have me arrested at the airport when I flew back into the country and then you came in and rescued me from that arrest. I knew what you did and why; but, I decided that the case you were working on was very interesting so I agreed to work with you. When I agreed to worked with you I blackmailed you to force you take me into the field with you. You wanted me as a partner and I wanted to be able to observe and help you in the field. You agreed to let me do that because it was the only way I would work with you. We solved our second case fairly quickly."

"Didn't I object to you blackmailing me? I mean blackmailing a Federal Agent is a crime you know."

Smiling, Brennan answered, "Of course you did; but, you really didn't have a choice; so, you accepted it. You mentioned something about Mulder and Scully. I looked that up . . . they are characters from . . ."

Holding up his right hand, Booth smiled, "Yeah, I know who Mulder and Scully are, thanks."

"Our first few cases were very interesting. We stopped a terrorist from killing a lot of very important people. We discovered that a boy that had apparently hung himself was really murdered. We arrested a cannibal in Washington State after he killed two people. . ."

Scrunching his nose, Booth exclaimed, "A cannibal?"

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "Yes, you don't like cannibals."

"No shit."

Smiling, Brennan continued, "Our next case was very interesting. Angela and I discovered a mummy in a wall in a nightclub and it turned out that the man had been murdered by the nightclub owner."

"You're kidding me. A real mummy?"

Smiling, Brennan answered, "Yes, it was my first modern mummy. It only took us a few days to discover the murderer. You are very good at your job. I am also at the top of my field and we are very successful partners."

Sighing, Booth tapped his fingers on his right hand against his leg, "Cam brought me some of the cases we worked on while I was in the hospital; but, I really didn't read them or listen to her. I was a little out of it."

Nodding her head, Brennan continued, "Our next case involved, Howard Epps, he was . . ."

Putting up his right hand Booth interrupted, "Wait I know who Howard Epps is. I arrested him for murder and he was put on death row. I Googled him yesterday and I found out that he was tied to some other murders and then later he escaped and I was involved in his death; but, the article was kind of vague about how Epps died. I thought maybe I killed him."

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "It wasn't as simple as you make it seem. Howard Epps manipulated us and the system in such a way that we found out there were more murder victims tied to him; so, his death sentence was delayed until we could prove whether or not he really killed the victims we found later near a marsh. Later he escaped from prison by murdering a fireman and walked out of the prison pretending to be that fireman. He then murdered his wife . . ."

"Wait, wife? Howard Epps wasn't married."

Sighing, Brennan tapped her hands against her knees, "Epps married someone while he was in prison. When he escaped, he killed her and he also tried to kill Cam. . ."

"Wait, Cam? He tried to kill Cam?"

Nodding her head, Brennan stared at Booth's confused face, "Yes, then he tried to kill me. He broke into my apartment; but, I was waiting for him with a gun because I had realized that he had manipulated events to get to me. You came to the same realization and arrived at my apartment shortly after I confronted him. He didn't want to go back to prison; so, he jumped off of the balcony of my apartment. You tried to save him by grabbing his arm; but, Epps refused to help you save him and he dropped to his death."

Staring at Brennan, Booth shook his head, "I . . . I dropped him? Did I do that on purpose? Did I kill him?"

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "No of course not. You couldn't hold on to him forever, Booth. You were holding onto him with one hand and eventually his weight pulled him from your grip and he fell. It wasn't your fault."

Rubbing the back of his head, Booth licked his lips, "Uh, look, I appreciate you coming to see me and I really would like to talk to you again; but, could we call it a day. I think I'm getting a headache."

Reaching out and placing her hand on Booth's knee, Brennan repeated, "Booth, Epps' death was not your fault. He committed suicide. You tried to save him; but, you couldn't."

Nodding his head, Booth stood up. "Maybe you could come back tomorrow. Thanks."

Standing, Brennan picked up her purse from the coffee table, "Of course. I'll come by tomorrow around 1 p.m. if that's all right."

Not looking at Brennan, Booth replied, "Yeah, sure."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth had difficulty sleeping that night. Howard Epps' death kept running through his mind. Finally, unable to keep his eyes open any longer, Booth succumbed to sleep.

_They were sitting in a ball park. He'd finally talked Brennan into going to a baseball game with him._

_After explaining the positions in the field and the function of each player, Booth turned his attention to his team as they took to the field._

"_So the purpose of this game is for one team to keep the opposing team from scoring while scoring as many points as they can."_

"_They're called runs; but, yeah. You got it. The pitcher also wants to keep the hitter from reaching first base. If he can get through nine innings and not allow a man to get to first base and his team scores at least one run, then the pitcher will have a perfect game. It's also called a no-hitter."_

_Staring at the pitcher, Brennan judged the man to be very lean; but, well developed. "What happens if both pitchers are very good and have no-hitters?"_

_Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "They keep playing until a hitter scores at least one run. It they have to go past nine innings then they will. It's called a pitcher's duel."_

_Sighing, Brennan replied, "I hope they do not have a pitcher's duel today. I wanted to go back to the Jeffersonian this evening. The mummy from the Xinjiang province in China is supposed to arrive later this afternoon. The mummy is purported to be about 4,000 years old . . . "_

_Zoning out, Booth stared at his partner with amusement as he watched her talking animatedly about the mummy. "God she really loves that stuff."_

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Waking up, Booth reached for the notebook beside his bed and started writing down everything he could remember about his dream. So far, he'd had a few dreams that seemed very real to him. If these were real memories then he needed someone to tell him what they meant. He planned to talk to Brennan about them. He hoped that she could work up a time line for him. His dreams were telling him that his memories weren't gone. He just needed a way to make them come back. He hoped it wasn't going to be one dream at a time.

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So what do you think. As you can see not all of his dreams were things we saw on the show. I hope they feel like something that would have happened on the show if they had more time to do so.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for reading my story. I appreciate your support.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

_He noticed that she wasn't crying. If anything she looked like she was pissed at something. That seemed like an odd reaction to have at a funeral; but, maybe she was just mad because she was being forced to attend a pretend funeral. "Yeah, that's it. She hates funerals; so, I'm sure she thinks this is just a huge colossal waste of her time. God, I am going to owe her big time."_

_Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the guy, finally. All of this crap and there had been a chance that he wouldn't show up; but, there he was, the prick. Watching him walk over to the casket, Booth handed his rifle to the man standing next to him and charged after his prey. Getting into a brawl, Booth soon found himself fighting harder that he would have thought necessary. His shoulder was on fire and he knew if he didn't get the guy to go down fast then this whole thing might turn out badly._

_Suddenly, his partner walked over towards the tipped over casket, picked up a dummy arm and swung it at his prey. Thankful, Booth saw his partner bring the terrorist down and it was over. Walking over to his partner, Booth tried to compliment her, "Nice shot, Bones."_

_Suddenly, his lovely partner clenched her fist and struck him with it knocking him down. Normally she wouldn't have been able to do that; but, it had only been two weeks since he'd been shot and he was still feeling the affects of the blood loss._

_Rubbing his jaw, Booth watched his partner stalk away. "What the Hell?"_

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Waking, Booth found himself rubbing his chest. Sitting up, Booth pulled his shirt off and looked down at his chest. The scar was plain to see and he'd wondered where he'd got it the first time he'd seen it when he'd showered. Now he knew. He'd been shot. He didn't know who shot him or when he'd been shot; but, he knew he'd been shot.

Sighing, Booth rubbed his head, "There has to be a way for me to just remember this shit when I'm awake. There has to be."

Lying back down Booth continued to rub the scar. Booth was determined to remember how he'd been shot. It wasn't enough that he knew he'd been shot, he wanted to know why. He also wanted to know why Brennan had hit him at a funeral, why she was so angry at him.

Hearing knuckles rapping on his bedroom door, Booth looked up and called out, "Yeah, I'm awake."

Opening the door, Hank poked his dead through the opening, "Yeah, that kid Sweets is here. He wants to talk to you again."

Watching his grandfather withdraw his head from the doorway, Booth sighed. Grimacing, Booth swung his legs off of his bed and stood up. Noticing that his feet were hurting more than they use to, Booth flexed his toes. Walking over to his dresser, Booth pulled a pair of jeans out of a drawer and put them on. Grabbing a clean t-shirt, Booth pulled it over his head and across his shoulders. Pulling on the hem, Booth realized that he'd put on a FBI t-shirt.

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth turned and walked towards the bedroom door. Opening it, Booth walked through the doorway to find Sweets standing next to his couch.

"What the Hell do I have to do to make you understand I don't want you to come around here? I mean are you just that stupid or do you have a death wish?"

Clenching his jaw, Sweets shook his head, "You need help Agent Booth. You need help whether or not you think you do. I'm here to help you. You need to take it."

Walking past Sweets, Booth shook his head, "I don't need your help kid. I don't need it and I don't want it. I'm taking care of it; so, leave and don't come back."

Puzzled, Sweets asked, "What do you mean, you're taking care of it? I don't understand."

Smiling, Booth stopped and responded, "Yeah, well, I don't give a shit if you understand or not. I don't want you here; so, leave."

Shaking his head, Sweets replied, "Look you need help. Let me help you. . ."

Frustrated, Booth took a step towards Sweets and explained, "Get out or I'll throw you out. . . ."

Interrupting Booth, Hank called out from the kitchen, "Seeley, stop it." Walking into the living room, Hank stared at his grandson, "Seeley, I've had enough of your mule headedness. The guy wants to help you. At least let him try."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "Look Pops, you mean well; but, I don't need his help. I have a plan. I want to try my plan first before I . . . I need to try my plan first. If it doesn't work out like I hope then maybe I'll let the kid try something; but, right now, I don't need his help."

Looking at Hank and then Booth, Sweets asked, "What's your plan? Maybe I can help you with it."

Expelling his breath, Booth pointed down the hallway, "Get the Hell out and don't come back. I mean it, kid. Don't push me. You will regret it."

Seeing that it was getting dangerous standing there pushing Booth, Sweets did the only sensible thing he could do, he left.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth had a late breakfast again. Eating slowly, Booth became aware that his grandfather was staring at him, "What?"

Sighing, Hank asked, "Do you really have a plan or were just bullshitting that kid?"

Smiling, Booth replied, "I have a plan. I'm going to get Dr. Brennan to help me. She says she's my partner and my best friend; so, she should help me. I don't know that kid; but, for some reason I don't trust him. I can't tell you why, I just know that I can't trust him. I do know that I can trust Dr. Brennan. She's pretty honest and if she considers me her best friend then she should be able to help me. If anyone can help me it should be her. If she's my best friend then she knows me. She knows what I've been doing for the last few years. She knows me and I . . . for some reason I trust her."

Shaking his head, Hank stared at Booth's uncompromising face, "What's your plan?"

Eating a piece of toast, Booth shrugged his shoulders, "I've been having dreams. They seem like memories to me. I'm going to get Dr. Brennan to explain them to me. I'm hoping if I discuss them then maybe I'll remember more. See. I have a plan and I don't need that kid."

Nodding his head, Hank reached out and patted his grandson's hand, "Alright. We'll try your plan. We've got to do something and that seems like a good plan to me."

Drinking a sip of coffee, Booth smiled, "I'll talk to her this afternoon when she comes over. I trust her Pops. I don't know why; but, I do. I need to deal with someone I can trust and right now, I only trust two people, you and her."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ok, so Booth has a plan. Let me know what you think of my story. Thanks.


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for the great reviews. You all have been very kind.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth spent most of the morning on the internet, reading news articles about things that he thought he should know about. It was slow going because he'd get bogged down in something that happened and then become so fascinated in what he was reading that he'd forget to move on to something else.

After a very light lunch Booth returned to his computer and continued his research. At 1 p.m. Booth heard a rapping on his apartment door. Standing, Booth smiled at his grandfather who was watching the news.

"I hope to God it's Dr. Brennan and not that kid again. I swear that kid wants me to hurt him."

Hank, shrugging his shoulders, replied, "Just keep a lid on that temper of yours."

Opening the door, Booth was relieved to see Brennan. Smiling, Booth stepped aside, "Hey, thanks for coming back, Dr. . ."

Interrupting himself, Booth closed the door behind Brennan and followed her into the living room, "Hey, Pops, see who came back."

Standing, Hank smiled, "I'll leave you two kids alone. I'm going to go take a nap."

Nodding his head, Booth moved to sit on the recliner while Brennan sat on the couch. Picking up his notebook, Booth started, "Hey, I've been having dreams about stuff I think are memories. I was wondering if I could talk to you about them. Maybe you could explain them to me and tell me if they really are memories or not."

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "Yes, of course. If they really are memories then there really is hope that you will get your memory back."

Smiling, Booth remarked, "Yeah, that's what I was thinking." Looking down at his notebook, Booth opened it and turned to the second page, "Ok, I had this dream where we were ice skating. Did we ever do that? I mean I know you said we're partners; but, do we hang out and ice skate?"

Nodding her head, Brennan smiled, "Yes, you were in a hockey game and after an altercation with an opposing team member you were knocked down and received a concussion. You should never go to sleep shortly after receiving a concussion; so, you had to stay up most of the night. We went ice skating to fill up the time."

Grinning, Booth enthused, "Hey, it was a memory after all. Thank God. That must mean that my memories aren't gone, I'm just having trouble accessing them when I'm awake. That's good, right? I mean that means my brain isn't totally fried, right?"

Staring at a clearly relieved Booth, Brennan replied, "Yes, I concur. Your memories must not be lost after all, or at least not all of them. Have you had other dreams that seem like memories?"

Nodding his head, Booth responded, "Yeah, I had a weird one and it was kind of creepy. I don't know if it was a real memory or not. Maybe you can tell me if it was real or not."

Clasping her hands together, Brennan placed them on top of her knees and leaned forward, "Alright, go ahead."

Nodding his head, Booth stared intently at Brennan, "I met up with some guy with tattoos, in some alley. He looked like a dangerous guy. I think he threatened to kill you and I . . uh . . ."

Curious, Brennan encouraged Booth, "Go ahead."

Licking his lips, Booth looked down at his notepad and then back at Brennan, "I . . . uh stuck my gun in his mouth and threatened to kill him if he hurt you."

Shocked, Brennan responded, "I think I may know who you're talking about. We had to deal with the head of a street gang the first year we worked together. I had an altercation with the man and he threatened me. . . I wasn't aware that you had threatened him though. If you did do that then I didn't witness it. . . You shouldn't have done that Booth. I am capable of taking care of myself."

Frowning, Booth replied, "Like threatening a gang leader and expecting to live?"

Not saying anything, Brennan glared at Booth.

Booth seeing that he'd made her angry, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I have a big mouth sometimes."

Sighing, Brennan replied, "No, I would expect you to say something like that to me. You don't like me taking risks. It makes you nervous. I'm not sure why since I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth looked down at his notebook, "Uh. . . have we gone to baseball games together?"

Nodding her head, Brennan was relieved that Booth had changed the subject, "Yes, we've been to several baseball, football and hockey games together. You like sports and you have been teaching me the rules of these games."

Smiling, Booth tapped his notebook, "Good, good. I had a dream where we were at a baseball game together and I think you talked about some Chinese mummies while we were at the game."

Leaning back on the couch, Brennan smiled, "Yes, one time, after we'd gone to a baseball game I returned to work that evening to study a mummy that had been sent to the Jeffersonian from China. It was very exciting."

Scratching his left knee, Booth smiled, "You have a very pretty smile."

Puzzled, Brennan replied, "Yes I know."

Laughing, Booth looked down at this notebook again, "The last dream I want to talk to you about is kind of bizarre."

Nodding her head, Brennan leaned forward, "It might just be out of context."

Sighing, Booth replied, "They're all out of context. . . Ok, did we ever go to a funeral and you got mad at me and hit me knocking me down? I was wearing a uniform and I got into a fight with this guy and . . ."

Shaken, Brennan stood up, "I have to leave now. . . it's nothing you've done so I don't want you to be concerned . . . I just need to leave. I will be back tomorrow."

Picking up her purse, Brennan walked rapidly down the hallway, opened the door and left the apartment.

Booth standing up, followed Brennan down the hallway. Watching her leave, Booth rubbed the back of his neck, "Shit, what the Hell did I do to piss her off at me?"

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Sitting in her car, Brennan gripped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead. "I need to be able to answer his questions without these hysterics. This isn't helping him or me."

Sighing, Brennan considered her options. "I can stay away as Sweets advised and hope Booth will recover his memories or I can ignore Sweets and help Booth as much as possible. . . . He is my best friend. I need him to be my best friend. . . If he can't remember me then he's lost to me. I don't have a choice, I need to help him and if it causes me pain then so be it."

Finally satisfied with her decision, Brennan started up her car and left her parking space, driving slowly down the street.

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A touchy memory and pain remembered. Reviews are welcome. Thanks.


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate all of them.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

_Lying on the bed, Booth felt a little hot. He'd been lying close to the edge of the bed for over three hours and he didn't feel like he'd ever be able to close his eyes and get the sleep he needed. The hum of the air conditioner was soothing and he tried to concentrate on that; but, the quiet breathing next to him kept his nerves on edge. _

_Feeling the bed move next to him, Booth shut his eyes and pretended that he was asleep. Realizing that she had got out of the bed, Booth cracked his eyes to see where she was going. Watching her movements, Booth saw her standing in her sweat pants and shirt staring at him. Careful not to move, Booth watched as she removed her sweats and put on a pair of jeans and a cotton shirt. Feeling like a voyeur, Booth felt himself blush. Keeping his breath even, Booth watched as she picked up her purse, checked inside for something, turned back to look at him and then leave the hotel room. _

_Once the door was closed and he was alone, Booth sat up and groaned, "Damn it."_

_Rubbing his head, Booth laid back down and rolled over onto his stomach, "Maybe I can fall asleep before she comes back."_

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Waking, Booth grabbed his notebook and started writing furiously. Not understanding what he'd dreamed, Booth tried not to put too much meaning into the dream. Had he slept with her? It didn't seem like that had happened. He'd felt tense and frustrated in the dream. He was pretty sure that if he'd slept with her he would have been far from frustrated. Sighing, Booth threw the notebook and pen back on to his nightstand. Standing up, Booth hobbled into the bathroom to get a drink of water. Looking at himself in the mirror, Booth smiled grimly, "You are one screwed up son-of-a-bitch."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The morning had passed by very slowly. Booth had logged onto his computer as soon as he'd eaten breakfast and had randomly searched online newspapers for events that occurred within the last three years. His search was haphazard at best and after awhile it started to feel useless. Calling up a word file, Booth made a list of the cases that Brennan had told him about. Once his little list was complete, Booth started looking through online newspapers for anything he could find out about those cases.

After lunch, Booth started to worry that Brennan might not come back even though she said she would. She'd left abruptly the day before and even though he didn't know why, he was sure that it was something he'd said. Something about the funeral had upset her and he vowed that he wouldn't bring it back up again. He was starting to consider her as the key to his recovery and the last thing he wanted to do was to upset her.

At 1:05 p.m., Booth heard a knock on his apartment door and he sighed with relief. Hank watching Booth walk down the hallway towards the door stood up and made his way to Parker's bedroom.

Booth opening the door, smiled when he found Brennan standing on the other side, "Hey, you came back."

Frowning, Brennan replied, "Of course I did. I said I would."

Nodding his head, Booth stepped aside to let her enter his apartment. Closing the door behind her, Booth followed Brennan down the hallway and into the living room. After Brennan sat down on the couch, Booth sat down on his recliner.

Smiling, Booth asked, "Can I ask you a weird question? Well, it seems weird to me anyway."

Nodding her head, Brennan smiled, "Yes, of course."

Sighing, Booth flicked his eyes away from Brennan and then back, "Uh, I have some scars on my body and I don't know where they came from. I mean it's weird when I take a shower and I see them and I really don't know why I have them. I was wondering if you could tell me where I got them."

Nodding her head again, Brennan responded, "Alright I can try."

Pointing to his left leg, Booth pursed his lips, "I . . . uh. . . I have a burn mark on my leg. It's faint and I almost can't see it; but, I feel it when I'm washing up. Do you know anything about it?"

Staring at Booth's leg, Brennan replied, "You were kidnapped by a gangster from West Virginia. He was looking for a hitman and he thought you knew where he was. He and his protégé tortured you to try to make you tell them what you knew. They used a heated screwdriver and laid it against your leg to see if that would make you talk."

Frowning, Booth rubbed his leg where the scar was, "They tortured me? . . . Did I tell them what they wanted to know?"

Smiling, Brennan replied, "No. You are very brave and very stubborn. You refused to tell them what they wanted to know and you gave Dad and me time to find you and rescue you."

Staring at Brennan Booth asked, "You rescued me?"

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "Yes, with the help of Angela, Hodgins and Cam I was able to find out where you were. Dad and I drove to that small airport that you were being kept at and rescued you."

Swallowing, Booth held his left hand over his right side, "I have a scar on my side that's faint too. It looks like a bullet grazed me or something like that."

Staring at Booth's hand on his side, Brennan responded, "A serial Killer dressed as a clown shot at you while you and I tried to rescue one of his victims. He grazed your ribs when you exchanged gunfire."

His eyes growing large, Booth exclaimed, "A serial killer dressed as a clown?"

Nodding her head, Brennan smiled, "Yes. Even though you are afraid of clowns, you didn't allow him to win. You shot and killed him when he tried to kill me and you. You were very brave."

Shaking his head, Booth bit his lower lip. Finally looking up, Booth moved his hand down to the outside of his right leg, "What about the bullet wound here?"

Nervous, Brennan flicked her eyes towards Booth's hand and then away. Sighing, Brennan replied, "I accidentally shot you. I tried to shoot off a lock and the bullet ricocheted and grazed your leg. That one did require stitches."

Frowning, Booth exclaimed, "You shot me . . . You shot me?"

Hunching her shoulders a little, Brennan replied, "It was a ricochet. I didn't deliberately shoot you. It happened when I tried to shoot off the lock on a door that held the girl that the killer clown had kidnapped."

Puzzled, Booth shook his head. Staring at his hand on his leg, Booth sighed and looked up. "Don't we investigate murders? How do we end up chasing serial killer clowns and me getting kidnapped by gangsters? That can't be normal. I hope to God it's not normal."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "We are usually assigned very serious cases involving serial killers and very dangerous people. It's what we do. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to confront these dangerous people."

Placing his hand slowly on his chest, Booth asked his final question, "Uh. . . I have a scar on my right chest. It looks like I was shot."

Closing her eyes, Brennan heard Booth bring up the scar she had been dreading to speak about. Taking a deep breath, Brennan replied, "Do you remember the dream you had about the funeral?"

Nodding his head, Booth sat back in his chair and put his hands on the arm rests.

Brennan seeing the tension in Booths' body, continued, "You were shot by a stalker. The stalker, Pam Nunan, became obsessed with you and she tried to kill me. You stepped between me and her and she shot you instead of me. You were seriously hurt. . . . I . . . uh. . . We were . . ."

Stopping Brennan stared at Booth. Seeing his tension growing more intense, Brennan stared at her hands, "The FBI decided to fake your death to try to capture a terrorist. The ploy worked. You captured him at your pretend funeral. It was a very successful operation."

Watching the sadness on Brennan's face become more pronounced, Booth asked, "I wasn't going to ask you; but, I really need to know, why did you hit me at the funeral? What did I do to make you so mad at me?"

Looking up, Brennan stared at Booth, "No one told me that you weren't dead. I really thought you were dead until I saw you attack the terrorist. . . I was very angry with you because you should have called me to let me know you were alive. Instead you relied on Dr. Sweets to inform me and he didn't do it."

Shocked, Booth asked, "But why didn't he tell you? I mean if you're my partner, why didn't he tell you that I was alive and I was just undercover? That doesn't make any sense."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "Dr. Sweets was observing us for a book he was writing and he chose not to tell me as part of an experiment."

Rocketing up from his chair, Booth stood up and clenched his fists, "That son-of-a-bitch, I knew I didn't trust him for a reason. Damn it. . . Look I'm sorry he did that to you. I hope you understand that I would never allow something like that to happen on purpose. I mean I wouldn't do that."

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "That happened a year ago. I've let it go and so have you. You forgave Dr. Sweets."

Shaking his head, Booth asked, "Why the Hell did I do that? What he did was unforgivable."

Licking her lips, Brennan smiled, "You forgave him because I did."

Puzzled, Booth sat back down, "Why? Why did you forgive him?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "Because you are a kind person and you like Sweets. I didn't want you to hate him; so, I forgave him so that you could. When this event actually happened, I didn't tell you that Sweets had not informed me as part of an experiment. Up until now, you just thought he'd done it because he was being officious. I feel you should know the truth. If you need to relearn your past then you need to know the truth."

Reaching out his hand, Booth placed it on her left knee, "You're the kind person. . . I mean, you're being kind to me right now, helping me and I appreciate it. I really do. . I'm sorry that some of my questions are causing you . . . thanks. I really appreciate you helping me."

Smiling, Brennan placed her hand over his, "Booth you are my best friend and my partner. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. If that means going over some parts of our history that are uncomfortable then that is what I will do. I shouldn't have left yesterday when you first brought up the funeral; but, that time was very upsetting to me . . . As far as I knew, when you were shot, one of my best friends had been murdered trying to save my life and later when I found out that it was a ruse and that I wasn't informed because Dr. Sweets wanted to perform an experiment . . . well, I still find the whole thing upsetting and a little humilating. . . . I forgive Dr. Sweets for what he did; but, that doesn't mean that I accept what he did. I want you to understand that I don't blame you for what transpired. It wasn't your fault even though I did tell you that I did blame you at the time. . . . We're friends, Booth. I really want you to remember that we are best friends."

Nodding his head, Booth smiled, "I can see that we are friends . . . Bones." Looking down at their hands, Booth blushed. He didn't know why he felt bashful; but, the feeling had come over him suddenly and he couldn't help it.

Seeing Booth blush Brennan tried to figure out why. Suddenly it dawned on her that he had just called her Bones.

Almost crying with relief, Brennan smiled, "Let's talk about some more about our earlier cases."

Nodding his head, Booth looked up, "Alright. Thanks Bones. Thank you for helping me."

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A long chapter; but, I didn't want to interrupt the flow. So what do you think of this chapter? Reviews as always are appreciated. Thanks.


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for giving my story a chance. I know it's different; but, I hope it is entertaining.

This is a reminder that this story is taking place at the end of season 4. Relationships between characters weren't as evolved as they are now.

I don't own Bones.

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Brennan had made a point to arrive every day at Booth's apartment right after lunch. She and Booth had come up with a plan to help his memory and they'd been following it for nine days. In the morning, Booth would log onto his PC and search the internet for articles about the cases that they had worked on in the past and that they had discussed the previous day. Sometimes the cases were high profile and the information was easily accessible. Other times the cases didn't seem to catch the eye of the press and he found little about them. Booth thought it was weird that some cases barely got any attention from the press at all.

After lunch, Brennan would arrive and she would spent several hours talking about previous cases, conversations they'd had, people they'd met and the times they spent together doing the things friends and partners do.

After nine days, Booth was comfortable talking to Brennan. He loved her smile and her enthusiasm for her job. She was very proud of her knowledge and skill as an anthropologist and Booth was proud that he knew someone like her. He was very proud that she considered him her friend.

Sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee, Booth smiled, "You know I never had a partner before you outside of the Army. I'm glad you partnered up with me. You and me click. They tried to give me a partner when I first joined the FBI and I was fresh out of the Academy; but, I really didn't do my best work when they made me work with someone. My bosses finally figured that out and let me work solo. . . . I just think I needed someone like you to come along."

Smiling shyly at her coffee cup, Brennan replied, "Thank you."

Watching her over the rim of his cup, Booth finally put his cup down, "You know when I woke up from my coma I was really worried about my future. I was afraid that not only had I lost over three years of memory; but, maybe I wouldn't be able to do my job anymore. I was afraid that I might have forgotten how to be a cop; but, now I don't think that's true. . . . We've gone over these cases and the more we do that the more I understand what we did and why. I think I'll be able to do my job even with this hole in my head. . . . I just need to know, do you still want to be my partner even though I . . . . I mean, when I go back to work, do you still want to work with me? I'll understand if you want a new partner. . ."

Interrupting Booth, Brennan shook her head, "Of course I want you as my partner. You're the best agent the FBI has and I only work with the best. I've already made it clear to your boss and Cam that I will wait until you're ready to resume your position with the FBI before I return to the field. I will not let them assign a new partner for me. Until you're ready to come back to the FBI, I'll work on identifying the remains we keep in bones storage and I will consult with the FBI as long as it is at the Jeffersonian. I will only resume going to crime scenes when you return."

"Wow, Bones. You did that for me?"

Nodding her head, Brennan smiled, "Of course. You are my partner and my friend. I will not work with anyone else."

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_He was frantic. Brennan's life was in danger and he needed to find her. He and the squints had been searching for her and Hodgins for hours and so far their efforts hadn't paid off. When Zach had wanted to give up because their deadline had passed, Booth had almost lost it. It took everything he had not to lash out and punch the squint. He'd controlled himself enough to force Zach to think about the information they had. Finally Zach had told them that he thought he knew where they were. The text message that Brennan had sent to him had been cryptic; but, he knew she was brilliant and so was Hodgins. He counted on that brilliance to allow him to save them. _

_Standing on the edge of the gravel pit, Booth looked down and searched the area below him. Zach said they were there; so, he knew they had to be. Feeling his heart pounding in his chest, Booth searched for any sign of where to look. Suddenly, Booth saw it, a message from Brennan. Running down the embankment, Booth ran as fast as he'd ever run. Arriving where he'd seen the plume of dirt erupt, Booth threw himself to his knees and started to dig frantically. Feeling Brennan's arm, he dug and pulled until she was free from the dirt and rock. Terrified that she was hurt or dead, Booth pulled her to him. Seeing her breathe, he'd run his eyes over her body to make sure she was alright. He'd then leapt up and helped pull Hodgins out of the dirt. Once Hodgins was free, he moved back to where Brennan was sitting and collapsed next to her. _

_The adrenalin rush he'd been riding finally came crashing down and he felt weak as he stared in to the eyes of his lovely partner. She was safe. She was alive and he wanted to grab her and hold her tight. He wanted to kiss her and reassure himself that she was alive and safe. Careful not to frighten her, he sat next to her and smiled instead. She was safe and his life could continue. Seeing her smiling dirty face, he knew he'd never be able to deny the truth about her again, at least not to himself. He loved her. He loved her and if anything ever happened to her he was certain his life would be destroyed. _

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Jerking awake, Booth felt the world begin to spin. He felt light headed and confused. Sitting up, he tried to keep the world from rotating. Reaching out with his hands, Booth placed them on the bed and slowly moved to the edge of his bed. Sitting on the edge of his bed with his feet firmly planted on the floor, he stared at the bathroom door. Trying to remain still, Booth fought the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. Placing his hands on the sides of his head, Booth focused on the door and waited. Slowly his world stopped spinning and the nausea disappeared.

Standing carefully, Booth slowly walked into the bathroom and ran some cool water into the sink. Leaning over the sink, Booth immersed his hands in the water and brought the water up to his flushed face. Feeling the cool water on his hot skin he closed his eyes. Soon Booth felt a little better. Reaching for a towel, Booth dried his face and looked in to the mirror.

Smiling, Booth exclaimed, "I'll be damned."

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Reviews are welcome. Let me know what you think of my story. Thanks.


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you for the reviews. They are much appreciated.

I don't own Bones.

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Sitting in his bedroom, Booth watched the light slowly appear in his window. He didn't know how long he'd been staring at the window; but, he knew that he'd barely slept during the night. After a while, Booth stood up and decided to take a shower.

Once his shower was done and he'd changed into jeans and a Foreigner t-shirt, Booth found some stripy socks and put them on. Smiling, Booth wiggled his toes. The brown and beige socks looked cool and Booth was pleased when he'd found them in his sock drawer.

Walking out into the apartment, Booth looked at the clock and realized that it was only 7:10 a.m. Turning on the TV Booth lowered the volume and watched the news. After awhile, he realized that he was hungry and walked into the kitchen to find something to eat. Smiling, Booth decided to thank his grandfather for taking care of him and he made pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs.

Hank, smelling the wonderful aroma of cooked bacon in the air, walked out into the living room to see what was going on. Not seeing Booth, Hank walked over to the kitchen doorway and looked in, "Hey Shrimp, you're up early."

Turning to stare at his grandfather, Booth smiled, "Yep. I hope you're hungry. I'm making pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs."

Smiling, Hank replied, "Yeah, I could eat. Why the big spread. Normally you eat that Captain Crunch cereal."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "I was hungry and I didn't think cereal would fill me up."

"Good, you've been eating pretty light for the last couple of weeks and you're getting a little under weight . . . . You seem pretty happy this morning."

Turning back to his pancakes, Booth flipped them out of the pan and onto a plate. Pouring more batter into the pan, Booth watched the batter bubble. "I woke up happy."

Nodding his head, Hank remarked, "I'm glad to hear it. . . Want me to set the table?"

Shaking his head, Booth glanced at his grandfather, "Nope. You go sit down and relax. I've got it under control."

Walking over to the kitchen table, Hank sat down and waited. Watching Booth, Hank knew something had changed. He just wasn't sure what the change involved.

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After breakfast, Booth talked his grandfather into playing dominoes.

"Aren't you going to do any research on the computer?"

Shaking his head, Booth smiled, "Nope, I'm done with that."

Worried, Hank asked, "You're done with that? I don't understand. You aren't giving up are you?"

Reaching out his right hand, Booth patted Hanks hand, "No, I'm not giving up. I just don't need to work on my project anymore. . . . I wasn't sure how tell you and maybe I shouldn't just in case I'm wrong; but . . . well, I think I have my memory back. . . I may be missing some memories . . . I'm not sure; but, as far as I can tell, my memory is back."

Surprised, Hank asked, "Are you sure? I mean how do you know?"

Reaching out to place a domino down, Booth replied, "I can remember being Bones' partner. I can remember our cases or at least some of them and not cases we've talked about. . . . I mean I remember being kidnapped by the Gravedigger and almost being killed on that ship; but, Bones has never mentioned it once. . . . For that matter neither has anyone else."

Shrugging his shoulders, Hanks studied his grandson's puzzled face, "What did you want us to say, 'Oh by the way, some bitch tried to kill you; but, she didn't so don't worry about it'? I haven't wanted to bring up anything because I didn't want to upset you. I suppose Temperance didn't mention it because she was concentrating on getting you to remember your cases and not when you'd almost been killed in the line of duty. You've had enough trauma to deal with so she probably didn't want to add to it."

Sighing, Booth watched his grandfather move a domino into play, "Yeah, you're probably right. . . When I think about what I've put her through these last few weeks, I'm amazed she's still around. . . Normally she doesn't handle this kind of thing well. When it gets tough between us she runs and I mean she runs away pretty far. . . . I can't get over that she stuck around to help me."

"She loves you Seeley."

Shaking his head, Booth grimaced, "No she doesn't Pops. She likes me. She really doesn't allow herself to love anyone."

"But you love her."

Nodding his head, Booth replied, "You know I do. I figured it out that time she was kidnapped by the Gravedigger. . . . I mean, I thought I might be in love with her before that; but, I kept telling myself it was just infatuation. When I almost lost her I realized that I did love her. I just couldn't do anything about it.

"Tell her Seeley. . . just tell her."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "Nothing is as simple as that when you're dealing with Doctor Temperance Brennan. She's the most complicated person I know. Her parents and brother destroyed her trust in people and it's taken me years to get her to trust me. . . I can't just say "Bones, I love you.' It would scare the Hell out of her. She'd run from me so fast it wouldn't be funny. Hell, she'd probably raise the roof and sever my partnership if I put that kind of pressure on her. . . . No, I can't tell her . . . maybe someday; but, not right now."

Shaking his head, Hank stared at his grandson's sad face, "Seeley, I've seen her face when she talks to you. I've seen how she can't keep her hands off of you. She's always touching your hand or arm. She leans close to you when she wants to get something across to you. I'm telling you that she loves you."

Standing, Booth walked over to the kitchen doorway. Stopping, Booth turned back and looked at his worried grandfather, "No she doesn't Pops. I'd know if she loves me. I read people like an open book. It's my super power. She isn't in love with me. She just likes me."

Turning, Booth walked into the kitchen and stared at the fridge. Opening it, he removed a drink and opened it. Taking a swig, Booth slammed the bottle on the counter and slammed the fridge door shut.

Hank, used to his grandson's temper, remained where he was and waited for his grandson to calm down. Sighing, Hank gathered the dominos and placed them back into their box. Watching the kitchen doorway, Hank knew that Booth would be awhile.

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"You know Pops, maybe I'm wrong."

Looking up at his grandson standing in the kitchen dooway, Hank asked, "About what?"

Sighing, Booth replied, "Maybe my super power isn't what it used to be, at least not with Bones. I think I have all of my memories; but, maybe I don't. What if I'm wrong about Bones. . . I mean, what if our friendship isn't what I think it is."

Rubbing the side of his head, Hank responded, "I'm still not following."

Stepping in to the room. Booth wandered over to his recliner and sat down, "Ok, look. In my head, I have this idea that Bones is afraid to love anyone because she doesn't trust anyone strongly enough not to believe that they'll just leave her when the going gets tough. For some reason, I think I have to be careful around her and not push her into anything; but, what if I'm wrong. What if she isn't as . . . I don't know, maybe if I just show her how trustworthy I am and start courting her but not in a way that's obvious, maybe I can break down those damn walls she has up between her and the world, between her and me."

Exhaling deeply, Booth stared at his hands, "I'm not sure I'm being clear . . . my memories tell me that she'll never love me because she can't; but, what if over the years I saw something that made me change my mind and reality isn't what it appears? How would I know? I know I love her and I know she really likes me and she considers me as her best friend. What if I can build on that? My head has a hole in it. That has to have done something to me. What if it stole my plan to win her over? How do I know that I wasn't already in the middle of a campaign to win her over?"

Smiling, Booth looked at his grandfather, "Pops, I think I'm going to start a very subtle campaign to win Bones. I'm not going to rely on my memory to keep me away from the woman I love. . . . If I didn't have a plan before, if I'm really just bullshiting myself . . . I don't care. Somehow I'm going to get Bones to love me."

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So, Booth's memory is back. What do you think of my story now? I'm not done, not by a long shot. Remember: this story is AU.


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you for reading my story. If you have the time, please review my story. It's how I tell if anyone is interested in it.

I don't own Bones.

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The morning seemed to drag by for Booth. He expected Brennan to come by after lunch; but, his excitement over seeing her and telling her his good news was starting to wear on his nerves. His constant pacing around the apartment drove his grandfather close to the edge.

"Seeley, damn it, go for a run or a walk; but, go do something. I don't care what; but, just go out and burn off some of that energy you have before you explode."

Smiling, Booth replied, "Yeah, maybe you're right. I'm going to go to the store and pick up some stuff. I'll be back before Bones gets here."

Nodding his head, Hank responded, "If you're going to the store bring back some beer and not any of that light crap either. I want a real beer."

Laughing, Booth walked down the hallway and out the door.

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Arriving at the apartment, Brennan waited for Booth to answer the door. Hank opening the door smiled and invited Brennan inside.

"Seeley went to the store. I thought he'd be back by now; but, he shouldn't be too much longer. He just walked down to the corner market."

Nodding her head, Brennan followed Hank into the apartment. Sitting on the couch, Brennan noticed that the TV was off. Hank, a little worried that his grandson wasn't back yet, smiled nervously and sat on the recliner.

"Would you like something to drink or eat? I have one beer left; but, it's that light crap. I don't know why Seeley keeps that stuff in the house. I know he doesn't drink it and I hate it."

Smiling, Brennan replied, ""I drink it occasionally; so, Booth keeps a few in his fridge for me."

Nodding his head, Hank smiled, "Oh, ok, that makes sense."

A little restless, Brennan asked, "How long has Booth been gone to the store?"

Worried, Hank glanced at his watch, "Over an hour. I hope he's ok. He should have been back before now. He didn't take his phone with him; so, I can't call him."

Standing up, Brennan picked her purse and slung it on her shoulder, "Which market did he go to? I'll walk down to the market and see what the problem is."

Sighing, Hank replied, "I don't know the name of the place. When you leave the apartment building, turn right and walk down about four blocks. The store is on this side of the street and it has a green awning in front with gold writing on it."

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As she walked down the street, Brennan saw what seemed like a lot activity ahead of her. As she drew near the store, Brennan realized that the activity was centered on the store. There were several police cars in front, two ambulances, a coroner's van and several police officers standing in front of the store. Brennan feeling her heart start to race ran towards the store only to be stopped a hundred yards from the store's main entrance by a police officer.

"I'm sorry ma'am. You can't go into the store."

Close to panic, Brennan's eyes darted towards the store entrance, "You don't understand my partner may be in that store. He may need me. He was supposed to be home a while ago."

Concerned, the police officer looked back at the entrance and then at Brennan, "Look, I don't want to upset you; but, the store was robbed and there were several casualties. If you'll give me the name of your partner, I'll see if he's in the store. This whole thing is still being sorted out and I can't let you go into the store."

Nodding, Brennan continued to search the store entrance.

Police Officer Stewart turned to his companion and asked, "Hey, Bud, go and see if . . ." Turning back towards Brennan Stewart asked, "What's his name lady?"

"Special Agent Seeley Booth".

"He's a Fed?"

Nodding her head, Brennan glanced at the officer and then back at the store entrance, "Yes, he works in Major Crimes for the FBI."

Turning back to Bud, Steward continued, "You heard the lady, he's a Fed."

Nodding, Bud turned and jogged over to the store entrance and then entered it.

Watching an ambulance leave, Brennan stared as it pulled out into traffic with its lights flashing. Soon she saw a gurney pulled over to a coroner's van and lifted into the back of the van. Brennan's eyes locked onto the body bag, failed to notice the officer return along with Booth.

"Hey Bones, what are you doing here?"

Feeling the blood drain from her face, Brennan leaped towards Booth and threw her arms around him. "Booth, I was worried. Hank said you were supposed to be home awhile ago and we grew concerned that you hadn't come home yet."

Rubbing her back, Booth soothed, "I was in the store when it was held up by a couple of punks. I didn't have my gun on me or my phone; so, I had to be careful. They rounded up everyone in the store and demanded that we give them our valuables. One of the customers tried to jump one of the gunmen and the idiots started shooting. I managed to knock down one of the punks and get his gun from him; but, the other guy managed to shoot three of the customers before I could stop him. He killed a lady because I wasn't fast enough . . ."

Releasing her arms from around Booth, Brennan looked him up and down and asked, "Booth, you are recovering from brain surgery and have only been out of the hospital for a couple of weeks. Don't blame yourself for her death . . . . Are you hurt?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "Nah, I'm fine. I have some bruises; but, that's all."

Sighing, Brennan shook her head, "Booth, you . . . I . . . . I'm glad that you're alright. Maybe we should return to your apartment now. I'd like to look you over to make sure that you're alright."

Frowning, Booth shook his head, "I have to stay for awhile. They need my statement and then I can leave. Tell you what, you go back to the apartment and tell Pops that I'm ok and I'll be along as soon as I can."

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "Alright. Booth . . . alright, I'll meet you back at your apartment."

Smiling, Booth reached out and touched Brennan's hand, "Bones, I'm ok. I promised you that I'd never leave you and I won't. You're not going to get rid of me that easily."

Nodding, Brennan smiled and turned to walk back towards Booth's apartment. She had walked a few feet when she replayed what Booth had said to her in her mind and she stopped. Puzzled, Brennan turned back to see Booth walking back into the store.

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A little Booth action. So what do you think of my story?


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks to everyone who've reviewed this story. The response has been very good so far.

I don't own Bones.

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Arriving at Booth's apartment, Brennan had found Hank still sitting in the recliner.

"He's alright. There was a hold up at the store and he needs to stay to give a statement to the police; but, he is unharmed. He says he has some bruises; but, when he returns I will inspect him to make sure."

Laughing, Hank shook his head, "I know Seeley, he isn't going to let you just give him the once over. If he has any injuries then he's not going to want us to know about them."

Smiling, Brennan concurred, "Actually you are correct. If he refuses then we will know that there is something wrong, if he agrees then we will know he is fine."

Rolling is eyes, Hank snorted, "How long did it take you to catch on to that little trick? It took me months to figure that one out when he first moved in with me when he was a kid."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "Perhaps fourteen months."

"You know that dumb act he does is just an act, don't you? He's pretty damn clever when he wants to be."

Nodding her head, Brennan sighed, "Yes, I'm not sure why he pretends to be less intelligent than he is; but, he is quite good at it. Angela thinks he does it to be amusing."

"What do you think?"

"I believe he does it around criminals so that they will underestimate him. I believe he does it around his friends to hide a part of himself."

Smiling, Hank replied, "That's very perceptive, Temperance. He's very good at hiding."

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When Booth had arrived at his apartment, he found his grandfather and Brennan watching the news on television. Grimacing, he noticed that the store hold up was the top local news at the moment.

"Hey, I'm back. Sorry, Pops, I forgot your beer."

Frowning, Hank responded, "Don't worry about it, Shrimp. Come over here and let me look at you. Are you hurt?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "Just a couple of bruises, nothing major."

Standing, Brennan pointed to Booth's t-shirt, "For some reason, I didn't notice it earlier; but, you have a hole in the right side of your shirt and there appears to be blood. I thought you said that you only had bruises?"

Surprised, Booth looked down at his shirt. Seeing the hole, Booth frowned and walked into the kitchen. Pulling up the shirt, Booth placed his hand on his side and found a graze mark in his skin under the dried blood.

"Booth, that is more than a bruise."

Pulling his shirt back down, Booth smiled, "It looks like a graze. It's not bleeding; so, it must be really shallow. Don't worry about it."

Folding her arms across her chest, Brennan shook her head, "I will worry about it. Go get the peroxide and some bandages and I'll clean it and put a dressing on it. We don't want it to become infected."

Seeing the very serious look on Brennan's face, Booth did what she asked.

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Sitting in the living room, Booth and Brennan were enjoying a glass of iced tea. Since Booth didn't have any beer in the house that he wanted to drink Brennan had refused the light beer he had in the fridge for her. Hank sitting on the end of the couch, drank the light beer that Brennan had refused.

"Booth, when I was leaving the crime scene, you told me something that I'm puzzled about. You told me that you had told me in the past that you would never leave me. Is that something that just popped into your head recently? Was it part of a memory dream?''

Smiling, Booth shook his head, "I woke up really late last night after I'd had another one of my memory dreams and I realized that some of my memory is back. I don't know how much; but, I remember a lot of cases, ones you haven't talked about. I know what my job is and I remember Hodgins and Angela and Zach and the other squints."

Excited, Brennan leaned over and hugged Booth, "Oh Booth, this is wonderful news."

Patting her back, Booth continued, "I remember that you're my best friend and I remember telling you that I'd never leave you and I never will Bones. You can count on me. You and me are always going to be best friends no matter what happens in the future. I mean it. If you can only trust one person in this world to have your back then I want you to know that I'm that guy."

Pulling away from Booth, Brennan clasped her hands together and stared at them, "You can't know that. Things change. Circumstances change. Perhaps some day you will be promoted out of the field and you won't need me anymore."

Slowly shaking his head, Booth leaned towards Brennan, "Circumstances do change; but, just because they do doesn't mean that I will just walk away from you. I'm your friend and you have to accept the fact that you're going to be stuck with me until the day I die. I am not walking away from our friendship and I won't let you walk away from me either."

"Booth . . . ."

Shaking his head, Booth leaned over further and placed his hand on her knee, "I mean it Bones. I'm not your brother or your father. When the chips are down you can count on me. You've seen that in the past and you'll see it in the future. We are more than partners, Bones. I love you and I'm here for you."

"You love me?"

Smiling, Booth replied, "Sure I do. You're my best friend."

Nodding her head, Brennan smiled, "And you're my best friend. . . . Oh, Booth, we need to talk about what you can remember and see if we can determine what you can't remember. We need to determine if you still have memory loss and if so how extensive it is. I think you should refrain from telling anyone else until we've done some tests for the next few days."

Looking at Hank who had sat quietly at the other end of the couch listening, Brennan frowned and advised, "Perhaps when I'm not here you can go over family history and see what Booth can remember and what he's forgotten. We'll keep a detailed record and whatever problem areas he has we can cover for him and teach him anew."

Nodding, Hank stared at his grandson, "Sure thing. I'll work with him in the morning and you can work with him in the afternoon."

Seeing that plans were being made without him, Booth interrupted, "No one tells Dr. Sweets anything yet."

Hank and Brennan nodding their heads, looked at each other and then back at Booth. Hank, taking a sip of the hated light beer, responded, "Sure thing, Shrimp. It's early days. We'll take this one slow and easy."

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So, Booth's memory is back and Brennan knows about it. You may have noticed that Booth has already started his campaign.


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for reading my story. If you get the chance, please review my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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Over the next several days, Brennan and Hank quizzed Booth on various things in his past. They soon learned that there were still some gaps in his memory; but, they didn't seem to be too serious.

"Most of your memory loss seems to be confined to the last three years. It doesn't seem to be serious and mostly small things that really don't matter anyway." Brennan explained to Booth and Hank. "As time goes by, those memories may return; but, I don't think there's anything to worry about. If we come across anything that we think you should know we will of course talk to you about it; but, as far as I can tell there is nothing to prevent you from going back to work when you feel well enough to do so. . . . Of course, you will have to be reinstated by Dr. Sweets; but, I don't see that being a problem."

Nodding his head, Booth smiled, "Thanks for all of your help Bones. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be this far along if you hadn't stayed and helped me. You've been a great friend."

Blushing, Brennan smiled, "There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you Booth. You are important to me."

Watching his grandson and his partner, Hank shook his head, "So you two, when do you think Seeley should confront the kid? Dr. Sweets probably has some tests he wants you to take and I want to make sure you're ready for them. I think it might be a good idea if you just admit up front that you have some small gaps in your memory, don't you? It would probably make the kid trust you more if you're up front about it."

Nodding his head, Booth replied, "Yeah, you're probably right. If he thinks I'm trying to hide something from him he may hold me back as long as he can."

Shaking his head, Hank pointed at Booth, "Seeley, I think you also need to work on being patient when you're talking to him. So far, you've been pretty mean to the guy and I can tell you right now that isn't going to help your case."

Nodding his head, Booth responded, "Yeah, you're right. Sweets was trying to help me and I was kind of rough on him. He is a friend of mine; so, I guess I'll be apologizing to him the next time I see . . . "

Interrupting Booth, Brennan leaned towards him and interjected, "He may be a friend of yours Booth; but, remember what we talked about when we talked about your fake death. He is not completely trustworthy."

Nodding his head, Booth sighed, "Yeah, I remember. I'll treat him as a friend; but, I won't forget what he did to you." Leaning over and patting her knee, Booth smiled ,"Let's face it, Bones, my head has a hole in it and if I want my job back I have to go through Sweets to get it back. I can't treat him like the enemy, we can't treat him like the enemy. He's a good kid and he really wants to help me, I'll just keep in mind that he's not one hundred percent trustworthy when it comes to us. He's writing that damn book of his and sometimes he thinks we're lab rats. I won't forget that."

Sitting up straight, Hank asked, "Why not just tell him that you don't want the book written? Tell him that you don't want to be an experiment anymore."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "The kid has been working on that book for a while now. It wouldn't be fair to him. No, it's ok. I can work with him and so can Bones. Now that I know what he's capable of I'll be more cautious about what I say around him and I sure as Hell will think twice about any advice he gives me."

Staring at Booth's earnest face, Brennan nodded her head, "I think that is a fine plan. When he gives either one of us advice, I think that we should check with each other and see if that advice is reasonable."

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Sweets had been surprised when Booth had called him. He'd been even more surprised when Booth had asked him to come over to the apartment. Arriving at Booth's apartment, Sweets had found a cheerful Booth at the door.

"Hey, Sweets, come on in."

Walking down the short hallway, Sweets heard the TV playing. Walking into the living room, Sweets found Hank sitting on the recliner watching a game show. Hank, remote in hand, turned the TV off as soon as he saw Sweets.

"Hey Doc. How you been?"

Smiling, Sweets replied, "Fine, Mr. Booth."

Nodding, Hank asked, "Want a beer or a coke? We have both."

Turning to see Booth walk around the couch and sit on the end, Sweets shook his head, "No, I'm fine." Turning to face Booth, Sweets asked, "So why did you ask me to come here?"

Pointing at the other end of the couch, Booth replied, "I wanted to talk to you."

Nodding his head, Sweets sat down, "Ok, go ahead."

Smiling, Booth saw that Sweets wasn't going to make anything easy for him, "First, I want to apologize to you for the way I treated you. I was a little mean to you and I shouldn't have done that. I realize that you were just trying to help me and . . . Well, the only excuse I have is that I was confused and I didn't know you. I didn't know if I could trust you."

Nodding his head, Sweets replied, "I understand Agent Booth. You don't remember me and as far as you know I'm a stranger. It's hard to trust strangers when you're world has been turned upside down. . . Have you decided to trust me enough to let me help you? I really do want to help you as much as I can."

Shaking his head, Booth smiled, "Actually, I was wondering what kind of tests I need to take to go back to work? Do I have to take some kind of written test or would it be oral or what?"

Puzzled, Sweets responded, "I don't understand. Do you think you're ready to go back to work? What about your memory loss? How do you plan to do your job with such profound memory loss?"

Leaning forward, Booth replied, "That's the good part, Sweets. I don't have profound memory loss anymore. Most of my memory is back. It has been for a few days now. Pops and me have been going over my past and so far we've only found a few things that I don't remember. Most of the stuff I can't remember has happened in the last three years; but, it doesn't seem to be anything major."

Stunned, Sweets' jaw dropped a little. Staring at Booth's excited face, Sweets finally asked, "Can I test you to make sure that what you're saying is true?"

Nodding his head, Booth leaned back, "Yep, you sure can."

A smile slowly spreading across his face, Sweets asked, "Do you remember who I am?"

Cocking his head to the side, Booth smiled, "You're Dr. Lance Sweets, you're a pain in the ass psychologist who's writing some book about me and Bones. Because we're letting you do that, you're also my profiler when I need one. . . . You're also a friend of mine."

Grinning, Sweets exclaimed, "You do remember . . . Thank God."

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Well Sweets knows. Reviews would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks for reading my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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"Well, Agent Booth, this interview is to determine whether or not you've recovered enough to return to work. I've looked over your paper work and I see where your surgeon has cleared you. He noted that you're still suffering from headaches and you sometimes have dizzy spells; but, he doesn't think they will interfere with your job. What do you think?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth stared at Sweets with a blank face, "The headaches aren't as bad as the ones I had before the surgery and they aren't as frequent; so, I don't see why they would cause me any problems. The dizziness is almost gone and they really only happen once in a while. . . . It's been seven weeks since I had my surgery, I'm ready to go back to work."

Nodding his head, Sweets cleared his throat, "So have you talked to Dr. Brennan lately?"

Puzzled, Booth replied, "Sure. She told me that she's ready to get back to work whenever I'm ready."

"How often have you talked to Dr. Brennan? Is she aware that you still have some memory loss?"

Leaning back on the couch, Booth placed his right ankle on his left knee. Wiggling his right foot, Booth stared at it. "Yeah, she knows. She doesn't think it matters."

Nodding his head again, Sweets asked, "Do you like cats?"

Frowning, Booth asked, "No, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Can you tell me the names of the people at the Lab?"

Staring at Sweets, Booth replied, "Temperance Brennan, Jack Hodgins, Cam Saroyan, Angela Montenegro, Clark, Fisher, Daisy, Vincent and Wendell. There are some other's; but, I don't know their names."

"Who is your boss?"

"Andrew Hacker."

"Why aren't you wearing your stripped socks and a flashy tie?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "I'm dressed like an FBI agent not a fashion model."

Sighing, Sweets remarked, "You normally wear stripped socks and flashy ties at work. You consider them as a kind of finger in the eye of Big Brother."

Pursing his lips, Booth studied his black socks. Glancing back up at Sweets, Booth smiled, "I guess I forgot. Thanks for reminding me."

Nodding his head, Sweets asked, "Have you gambled in the last few weeks?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "I don't gamble anymore. I gave that up over four years ago. That I do remember. I've been to a couple of meetings in the last two weeks, Pops took me. I'm fine. The hole in my head hasn't made me want to gamble if that's what you're worried about."

"Have you been out to the practice range yet?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "No, not yet. I had other more important things to worry about. I plan to go out this afternoon and see how rusty I am. I'll work up a practice schedule once I've seen how bad or good I am."

Biting his lower lip, Sweets stared at Booth very intently, "You were involved in a shooting at a grocery story a few weeks ago. You killed one man and wounded another. Three bystanders were shot and one died."

Irritated, Booth glared at Sweets, "You make it sound like that's my fault. That gunman was shooting innocent people and I stopped him before he could shoot more than the three people he did shoot. He's the murderer not me."

Nodding his head, Sweets replied, "You have a tendency to take on guilt when someone is killed around you. Do you feel guilty about the death of the woman?"

Shaking his head slowly, Booth replied, "No, I don't. I didn't shoot her. I saved a lot of people in the store from being killed. That punk killed her before I could get the gun away from his partner. I did what I could."

Smiling, Sweets replied, "That's a healthy attitude, Agent Booth. I'm glad to hear it. . . . When is the last time you talked to Dr. Brennan?"

"Yesterday."

"Have you been talking to each other on a regular basis?"

Wiggling his foot again, Booth stared at the toe of his shoe, "Yeah, we talk every day. She wants to make sure I'm doing ok. She's my friend. That's what friends do."

"Do you have deeper feelings for Dr. Brennan? Do you consider her more than just a friend?"

Nodding his head, Booth replied, "Sure, she's my partner."

Shaking his head, Sweets remarked, "That isn't what I meant."

Irritated, Booth dropped his right foot on the floor and stared at Sweets, "Then say what you mean. I can't read minds."

Nodding his head, Sweets replied, "Alright. Do you love Dr. Brennan?"

Grimacing, Booth nodded his head, "She's my friend Sweets. Of course, I love her. I love her like I do Cam."

"Like Cam Saroyan?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "Yeah, I love Cam and Bones because they are my friends. Isn't that a good thing?"

Sighing, Sweets asked, "So you aren't in love with Dr. Brennan?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "I love Bones; but, I'm not in love with her. Where is that question coming from? Are you telling me that I used to love Bones because I sure as Hell don't remember that."

Sighing again, Sweets replied, "I just thought that you loved Dr. Brennan. I've seen signs over the years that led me to believe that was true."

Folding is arms across his chest, Booth replied grimly, "I don't know what you're talking about, Sweets. Bones is my friend. Period. I am not in love with her."

Sadly, Sweets replied, "Alright. . . . I am reinstating you to your position with the FBI." Standing up, Sweets walked over to his desk and picked up Booth's gun and badge. Carrying them over to Booth, Sweets handed them to him. "Welcome back, Agent Booth. As part of your reinstatement, you will be required to see me at least once a week for the next few months."

Standing, Booth took his gun and badge from Sweets. "Thanks Sweets."

Turning Booth walked to the office door. Stopping, Booth turned and looked at Sweets, "I don't know why you think I love Bones, Sweets; but, I don't. We're just friends."

Nodding his head, Sweets watched Booth leave his office.

Sad, Sweets sat down on his chair and stared out of the window.

Booth, arriving in his office, sat down behind his desk and placed his gun in his desk drawer. Turning his chair, Booth glanced out of his office window for a moment. "I hate lying about my feelings for Bones; but, damn it, this isn't anyone's business but mine."

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Reviews are welcome. Thanks.


	17. Chapter 17

(Harbingers in the Fountain)

Thanks for reviewing my story. I appreciate it very much.

This is a reminder: This story is AU.

I don't own Bones.

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Angela knew this was going to be an uphill battle; so, she waited until Booth came by to pick Brennan up for lunch. Walking into Brennan's office, Angela noticed Booth leaning against Brennan's desk and looking at a report of some kind.

"Hey, Booth, it's nice to see you back."

Looking up, Booth smiled, "Hey, Angela. It's nice to be back."

Glancing at Brennan, who was holding another report in her hand, and then back at Booth, Angela cleared her throat, "Look, a friend of mind thinks she may know where some bodies are buried."

Curious, Brennan asked, "Did she put them there?"

A little exasperated, Angela shot back, "No. She's . . . uh. . . she's a psychic."

Sniggering, Booth shook his head, "A psychic? Really?"

Rubbing her ear, Angela pled her case, "Please keep an open mind. She says she saw them in her cards and I believe her. She's a very good psychic. While you were sick I had her read her cards and she told me that you were going to be ok. In fact she told me a lot of things about you and Brennan. . ."

Holding up his hand, Booth interrupted Angela, "Stop. I'm not interested in what some psychic says about me or Bones." Turning to Brennan, Booth asked her, "You're not interested in this mumbo jumbo are you?"

A little shocked, Brennan replied, "What me? Of course not. I'm not superstitious. I don't believe in psychics."

Turning back to Angela, Booth shook his head, "Forget it. I'm not going to go on some wild goose chase because someone had a vision."

Shrugging her shoulders, Angela replied, "Fine. I thought you two were about justice. If things have changed since you're operation then it's good to know that now."

Watching Angela walk out of the doorway, Booth turned to Brennan, "What the Hell, I'm bored. Let's find out where the bodies are supposed to be and go look. It's something to do."

Sighing, Brennan replied, "I suppose it won't hurt anything and it will appease Angela."

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Shocked Booth looked at the GPR monitor and asked again, "Are you sure those look like bodies?"

Staring at the monitor, Brennan pointed out to Booth what looked like bones. "Yes, these are definitely bones."

"How do we know they aren't old settlers or Native American's?"

Pointing at a round object on the monitor, Brennan replied, "This appears to be a plastic disk."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth smiled, "Ok, I guess we're back in business. I'll contact Caroline and see if we can get a warrant to dig up the bodies."

"Booth, it's good to be working with you again. I missed this."

Smiling, Booth winked at Brennan, "Yeah me too. Oh hey, what do you think of my tie?"

Watching Booth pull on his tie so that she could get a better look, Brennan noticed that there were little baseballs on it. "That's a very interesting tie. Is it new?"

Nodding his head, Booth replied, "Yeah, I decided that I needed some flashier ties since I'm sticking my finger in the eye of Big Brother."

Puzzled, Brennan remarked, "I don't know what that means."

Laughing, Booth responded, "Sweets says I wear flashy ties and stripped socks as a way of rebelling. You know, sticking it to the man."

"What man?"

Shaking his head, Booth smiled, "Oh no, we are not having that conversation again."

Frowning, Brennan replied, "We haven't had this conversation before."

Crossing his arms across his chest, Booth studied his partner, "Okay, my memory may be a little faulty; but, I'm telling you we've had this conversation before. We had an argument about the man that time I was trying to get Agent Kelton's chair. We are not going to do that again."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan smiled, "That's because there is no man."

Rolling his eyes, Booth took his phone out of his pocket to call Caroline.

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Avalon stared at Booth with interest, "So you're Agent Seeley Booth. The cards have very interesting things to say about you."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "I don't believe in psychic bullshit. Would you like to tell me how you knew where the bodies were buried?"

Taking her deck of cards and placing it face down in front of her on the table, Avalon fanned the cards and then smiled, "Pick a card."

Sighing, Booth reached over and pulled out one card from the pile and handed it over to Avalon. Avalon turned the card over and smiled. "You were lost for awhile; but, you've found your way back again."

Turning over another card, Avalon looked at Booth, "You're in love, Agent Booth; but, you're not sure if she loves you. The answer to your question is yes. She does."

Curious, Booth looked at the cards and then at Avalon. "How did you know the bodies were under the fountain?"

Turning another card, Avalon looked at Booth, "She's afraid. If you want to win her heart this is going to take a lot of patience on your part, a lot of it. If you can wait, if you're very patient, then what you want most will be given to you in the end."

Nodding his head, "How did you know the bodies were under the fountain?"

Sighing, Avalon replied, "The cards told me."

Shaking his head, Booth stated firmly, "I don't believe in psychics."

Smiling, Avalon leaned forward, "That's ok, I believe in you."

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Standing next to Brennan's hospital bed, Booth shook his head, "Bones why the Hell did you go interview Dr. Leacock by yourself? You could have been killed."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "I just wanted to pick up the files that he had on our victims. I really didn't consider him a suspect."

Sighing, Booth replied, "Bones, we're partners. That means that you don't go near anyone involved in our investigations without me. . . Are you worried that you can't count on me? I mean since my surgery, are you afraid that you can't count on me to back you up?"

Shaking her head, Brennan protested, "No of course not. I know I can count on you. You proved that this evening when you saved me from Dr. Leacock. . . For some reason that I can't explain, I just didn't consider him a suspect. I will never make that kind of mistake again. It was foolish."

Exhaling slowly, Booth patted Brennan's arm, "Look, you made a mistake, a serious mistake; but, still a mistake. Now, the doctor says you can go home. I'm driving you home and you're going to go to bed and rest. Tomorrow we'll go after Alexander Gallo. We'll get him and when we do those twelve people he murdered will get their justice."

Nodding her head, Brennan frowned, "Yes, we will prove that he murdered those people. . . Booth, I apologize that I forced you to kill someone. I know you hate that."

Shaking his head, Booth leaned towards Brennan, "It was him or you Bones. The man tried to murder you and he got what he deserved. I'm fine with it."

Concerned, Brennan reached out and touched Booth's arm, "Still, I am sorry that you had to kill someone."

Smiling, Booth leaned closer towards Brennan, "I need you in my life Bones. I'd do anything to protect you and that includes killing someone trying to harm you."

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They'd gone for a walk and Booth found himself being accosted by a clown. Much to his amusement, the clown squirted some water on him. Delighted, Booth pinched the clowns nose and then tapped his hat.

Brennan shocked at Booth's behavior, shook her head, "Booth, you hate clowns. You don't find them amusing at all."

Puzzled, Booth stared back at the clown as they walked away and then at Brennan, "Oh, yeah? Wow, that's kind of weird. Right now I don't hate clowns. I wonder if I will later."

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "Perhaps you will. Some of the memories that we discovered you had lost are back; so, maybe in the future you will hate clowns again."

Nodding his head, Booth smiled, "You know Bones, that's why I love you. You aren't afraid to tell me what I need to know. You tell me I hate clowns and I believe you. . . . uh, do you know why I hate clowns?"

Sighing, Brennan replied, "No. You've never told me why. I find it strange that you don't remember that since your hatred for clowns goes back further than three and half years."

Worried, Booth stopped and stared at Brennan, "Ok, now I'm a little scared. What if my memory loss is worse than we originally thought?"

Shaking her, head, Brennan replied, "Let's not invite trouble, Booth."

Staring at Brennan, Booth suddenly smiled, "I love you Bones. I really do."

Smiling, Brennan placed her hand on Booth's arm, "I love you too, Booth. You're the best friend I've ever had."

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Is this interesting? Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	18. Chapter 18

(The Bond in the Boot)

Thanks for reading my story. I hope you find it entertaining.

This is a reminder that this story is AU.

I don't own Bones.

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_He was walking down the sidewalk, trying to have a conversation while talking on the phone. An ice cream truck was rolling slowly down the street next to him and the music was incessant. Rage building up inside of him, Booth took his gun out of his holster and shot the mechanical clown head resting on top of the truck. In the suddenly quiet atmosphere, Brennan who was standing next to him suddenly blurted out, "This is bad, Booth. This is very very bad."_

_He was standing in the Lab outside of Brennan's office talking to Hodgins. Turning, Booth saw Brennan kissing Tim "Sully" Sullivan. Feeling a wave of sadness wash over him, Booth turned and left the Lab. Finding his truck in the Jeffersonian parking lot, Booth stood next the truck in a daze. Rage finally overwhelming him, Booth struck the hood of his truck with his closed fists and shouted, "Why not me, damn it? What's wrong with me?"_

Waking with a start, Booth sat up in his bed. Running his hands through his hair, Booth thought about his dream, "What the Hell was that all about? Did Bones really kiss Sully in front of me? Hell did they . . ." Shaking his head, Booth slid out of bed and walked into his living room. Sitting down on his couch, Booth propped his feet on top of the coffee table. Upset at what might have been a memory dream, Booth suddenly stood back up, walked into his bedroom, put on a pair of jogging shorts, a t-shirt and his running shoes and left his apartment. He was angry and he knew he needed to burn up some of that bad energy that was threatening to consume him. There was no way he could meet his partner in the morning in the mood he was in.

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The next morning, after sleeping for about three hours, Booth, woke up to find water on the floor in his kitchen. Opening the utility door in the wall that covered the cut off valve, Booth found water spraying from a leak in one of the pipes. After turning off the cut off valve, he'd called a plumber to come check it out. The plumber had arrived fairly quickly and fixed the problem; but, after inspecting the rest of the pipes, he'd told Booth that the pipes were old and needed to be replaced.

Furious, Booth realized that he didn't have the money to pay a plumber to replace the pipes, at least not at the rate the plumber wanted to charge him. He knew he'd have to fix them himself. The only problem with that plan was he didn't know how to do it. He used to be pretty good at fixing broken plumbing; but, now for some reason, he couldn't remember how.

"God damn brain tumor, what else have I forgotten how to do. Damn it."

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The crime scene had been pretty gross and that wasn't the half of it. Seeing cats eating a human body had been quite stomach turning. After Brennan had done all she could do with the victim, Booth had driven her back to the Jeffersonian.

"Uh, Bones, I have a question I'd like to ask you."

Turning her head to stare at Booth Brennan replied, "Go ahead."

Licking his lips, Booth gave Brennan a sickly smile and then turned his gaze back to the road, "Did I ever shoot a clown's head on a truck?"

Frowning, Brennan nodded her head, "Yes. Did you have a memory dream last night?"

Nodding his head, Booth replied, "Yeah, in my dream I just pulled my gun and shot a clown head. Why did I do that? Do you know why?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan sighed, "You were trying to talk on the phone and the ice cream vendor was playing his music very loud. You asked him to turn the volume down and he refused. You became very angry and shot the speaker located in the clowns head on top of the truck. The FBI forced you to see a psychologist about the shooting. You told me later that shooting the clown's head was related to Howard Epps' death although you weren't very clear about how."

Exhaling deeply, Booth glanced at Brennan's sad face and then back at the traffic in front of him, "So. . . uh. . . Did they give you a new partner? I mean in the rest of my dream, I saw Sully in the rest of my dream and you two seemed kind of close; so, I thought maybe you two were partners for awhile. Am I right? Did they take you away from me for awhile?"

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "Yes, while you were seeing the psychologist about your anger issues I was given a temporary partner. I didn't ask for a new partner, Booth. I would never do that. It's just that a mysterious death occurred in Florida and I needed an FBI partner to work with me and you weren't available for a few days. Sully was available; so, they assigned him to me. I talked to you about it and you told me that you didn't have a problem with the arrangement."

Swallowing, Booth continued to look at the road in front of him, "So, you and Sully got along pretty good?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "Yes, he was very nice. After you and I were back together as partners I even dated Sully for awhile."

Turning to glance out of the driver's side window, Booth inhaled deeply. Biting his lower lip, Booth returned his gaze back towards the road, "Yeah, Sully is a nice guy."

Staring at Booth, Brennan frowned, "Yes, he is."

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Sitting in his office, Booth was considering his relationship with Brennan. He knew he loved her and he still wanted her; but, now he was worried about the lost memories. "What other memory grenades are waiting for me? How am I supposed to win her if I don't know our past like I should? Hell, I don't even know if Sully is still in the picture."

Rubbing his left eye brow, Booth stared out of his office window. Sweets, knocking on the doorframe of Booth's office, noticed the intense look on Booth's face.

"Hey, Agent Booth, you forgot your appointment with me. You should have been in my office fifteen minutes ago."

Startled, Booth jerked around, "Oh, sorry. I have a lot on my mind."

Closing Booth's office door, Sweets walked over to the chair across from Booth's desk and sat down, "Is it something we can talk about?"

Cocking his head to the side, Booth replied, "The plumbing in my apartment is getting old and I need to replace it. It'll cost too much to get a plumber to do it and . . . I used to be able to do plumbing work; but, now I don't know how. That damn tumor has stolen that from me."

Nodding his head, Sweets asked, "So what are you going to do?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth smiled, "I'm going to buy a plumbing book and teach myself how to fix my pipes. I learned how to fix them before; so, I should be able to learn again."

"I agree. You're a very intelligent man. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to relearn an old skill."

"Why am I having problems like that? I mean, I thought I was only supposed to be having problems with memories within the last three and half years. Hell, Pops taught me plumbing when I was a kid. Is there something else wrong with me?"

Shaking his head, Sweets replied, "No, I'm fairly certain it's all related to your surgery. A piece of your brain was removed with the tumor. It's not unheard of to have the problems you're having with your memory. You're actually quite lucky to have recovered as much of your memory as you have."

Staring down at the top of his desk, Booth replied, "Yeah, lucky."

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So Booth is still having memory problems and he had a shocking revelation about his partner. What do you think of my story so far?

A/N: for Guest who says my story is boring her/him. I cannot answer you; so, I will do it here. I recommend that you read stories written by Penandra, casket4mytears, dharmamonkey, threesquares and razztaztic. They are great writers and I think that their stories are very entertaining.


	19. Chapter 19

(The Bond in the Boot)

Thanks for the great reviews. I really appreciate them.

I don't own Bones.

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He'd worried about Sully all day. He'd wanted to ask Brennan about Sully, about their relationship; but, fear kept him silent. They'd worked their new case all day and half of the evening. The James Bond 'want to be' had gotten himself involved in a big mess that had caused him to lose his life and Booth was furious that the CIA was stonewalling him.

He'd become very angry when he'd found out that their victim had taken on a job that his CIA bosses had ignored. Finally, able to go home, he'd dragged himself into this bedroom and fell onto his bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

_He was standing behind her, watching a boat pull away. His rival was leaving and without his partner. Smiling, he watched Brennan staring at the boat as it sailed away. _

_Turning she stared at him with a look of irritation. "What are you doing here?"_

_Smiling, he raised his hand and replied, "I'm waving good-bye see?"_

_Still irritated, Brennan asked, "What do you want?"_

_Thinking it over, he answered, "Breakfast."_

_Shaking her head, Brennan responded, "I'm not hungry."_

_Placing his right arm around her shoulders, he smiled and walked with Brennan down the walkway, "Oh come on, huh! What are you going to vomit when you come across one of those horrific cases?"_

_Shaking her head, Brennan glanced at Booth, "I don't vomit."_

_Staring at her serious face, he studied his partner, "Give it time, Bones, okay? Give it time. Everything happens eventually."_

_Curious, Brennan asked, "Everything?"_

_Smiling, he felt himself smile, "All the good stuff. And when you think it never happens, it happens. Just got to be ready for it."_

_Watching her feet as she walked Brennan asked, "Are you ready? I mean for the good stuff?"_

_Glancing at Brennan's pensive face, he frowned, "I hope I am, some day. I wouldn't mind getting married and having a house in the suburbs."_

_Looking up at Booth, Brennan asked, "A white picket fence?"_

_Laughing, he replied, "Yes, a white picket fence. That's me, I'm a classicist."_

_Sighing, Brennan turned her face towards the open water and watched a boat sail by to their right, "I hope you get your white picket fence some day, Booth, I really do."_

_Feeling warm inside, he grinned at his partner, "Thanks Bones. I really appreciate that."_

Waking, Booth moved his arms up and placed them over his head. Staring at the ceiling, Booth thought about his dream, "I wonder why she didn't go with him."

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CIA Analyst Greg Dorrit had proved to be a hero as far as Booth was concerned. Greg had tried to warn his boss, Arthur Rutledge about the online chatter he'd heard and the fact that the $20 million dollar in diamonds that was supposed to be smuggled into the country turned out to be a USB drive containing classified data. Greg had died getting the USB drive back. Booth had felt great satisfaction proving that Arthur Rutledge was a fool and that Greg had done his country a great service.

Walking back to his truck, Booth watched his partner as she walked next to him, "What's wrong Bones?"

"Wendell Bray lost his scholarship and I hate the thought of losing one of my best interns."

Shaking his head, Booth sighed, "That's too bad. Maybe he can get another one."

Slowly shaking her head, Brennan replied, "The economy is bad right now and a lot of scholarship money is drying up. I feel that I may have to become involved. I don't want to lose Wendell. His potential is great and I'm afraid that if he leaves the Jeffersonian now I may lose him permanently. He's too good of an anthropologist for us to lose. I've decided to donate money to his scholarship."

Placing his arm around Brennan's shoulders, Booth replied, "Wow, Bones. That's great. He'll really appreciate it."

Shaking her head again, Brennan responded, "I am doing it anonymously. I don't want him to know I am giving him the money. It might affect the way he works around me. I don't want anything to change."

Squeezing her neck a little with his arm, Booth smiled, "You know Bones you are a very kind person. It kind of makes me sad that others don't get to see that. I think you have the biggest heart some times and you really make me proud to know you."

Smiling shyly, Brennan watched the ground as she walked, "I wish that were true; but, I really don't have the heart you think I do. Helping Wendell is the logical thing to do. He is very good and I would hate for the scientific community to lose his expertise."

Shaking his head, Booth laughed, "On no. I don't believe that for a minute. You are one of the kindest people I know Bones and your logic is not going to make me change my mind."

Smiling, Brennan glanced at Booth's smiling face, "I'd like to think I'm as kind as you say I am."

Suddenly serious, Booth removed his arm from Brennan's shoulders and stopped. "Bones even if you can't see it, I can. You are very kind and I love that you're my best friend. I want you to know that I can see it even if you don't let anyone else. I know you and I'm proud of you."

Placing her hand on Booth's arm, Brennan replied, "Thank you Booth. . . . Are you still going to give me plumbing lessons?"

Nodding his head, Booth started walking back to his truck, "Yeah, I've bought all the supplies we'll need and I've read that book you gave me. I think we can start working on it Saturday morning, if you're game."

Walking beside Booth, Brennan watched a car pass them by, "Yes, Saturday will be fine. I've always wanted to learn plumbing."

Uncertain, Booth unlocked the doors to his truck, "Yeah, if you say so. . . I hope I can do a good job. I've had to teach myself how to fix pipes all over again and I'm not sure how good of a job I'm going to do. It might be a case of the blind leading the blind."

Shaking her head, Brennan opened the truck passenger door, "You are very smart when it comes to things like plumbing, Booth. I believe you will be a great teacher."

Smiling, Booth slid into his truck. Glancing at his partner, Booth reached out and patted Brennan's knee, "Thanks for being such a good friend Bones. I really appreciate all of the things you do for me."

Staring at Booth's hand, Brennan replied, "And I appreciate that you are such a good friend to me, Booth. Your friendship is very important to me."

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What do you think of my story so far? Reviews would be great. Thanks.

A/N: For those of you who read "Booth's Diary", I have to let that one go on hiatus for awhile. The time line for that story is the same as "Partners" and it was starting to confuse me. As soon as "Partners" gets further away from the timeline "Booth's Diary" is in then I will start up "Booth's Diary" again.


	20. Chapter 20

(The Plain in the Prodigy)

Thanks for reading my story.

I don't own Bones

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_It was hot, he was sweating and to top it off, he was worried. Looking to his right, Booth could see her lying next to him, sleeping. The light streaming in through the small window of the motor home from the full moon above them was just enough to let him observe her beautiful face. The bed was small and he was squeezed over next to the wall, trying not to touch her. Sighing, he looked up at the ceiling, "Why do I get myself into these things? She's right there I could just reach out and touch her. . . . I can't. . . She'd hate me." Sighing again, he rolled over onto his side and faced the wall. Closing his eyes, he prayed to Saint Benedict to help him. He really needed it. _

Slowly opening his eyes, Booth rolled over and stared at the darkened bathroom across the room. Staring at nothing in particular, Booth reached up and rubbed the side of his face. Rolling over on to his stomach, Booth punched his pillow several times and then sighed. Lowering his head upon the pillow he closed his eyes and tried to fall back asleep.

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When Booth had heard that Michelle had a serious boyfriend he thought it was time to intervene. He'd seen Perry at the Lab and he'd decided to put the fear of God into Michelle's boyfriend. After he'd introduced himself as Michelle's uncle he'd let Perry know that he was a trained sniper and had pretty much told him that he'd better show proper respect towards Michelle or the consequences would be terrible. Perry had taken Booth's subtle and not so subtle threats very seriously.

Driving to the observatory to confront a suspect, Booth made a left turn and remarked, "You know Bones, Michelle is lucky that she has me around to protect her."

Puzzled, Brennan looked up from the report she was filling out, "Was she in danger?"

Laughing, Booth shook his head, "Not like that. It's just she's a beautiful young woman and she needs someone like me to make sure that she doesn't get used."

Opening her mouth and then closing it, Brennan glanced at Booth with curiosity.

Booth, unaware of Brennan's stare, gazed at the traffic ahead of him. "So, Bones, I've been thinking about Sully."

Frowning, Brennan replied, "Why would you be thinking about Sully?"

Biting his lower lip, Booth plowed on, "Well, you told me that you and he dated for awhile and I was just wondering why you broke up with him, I mean if you did break up with him. . . I mean, if you don't mind talking about it. You know, I'm just curious."

Staring at Booth, Brennan finally responded, "Sully moved to the Caribbean to start a charter service. He wanted me to go with him; but, I couldn't leave my job. I've trained years to get to where I am. I couldn't throw that away to run away to the Caribbean to play house on a boat. My job is important to me."

Hearing the sad tone in Brennan's voice Booth realized that he shouldn't have brought up Sully after all, "I'm sorry, Bones. I'm sure I knew before the operation; but, I didn't remember and I was just curious. I didn't mean to bring up something painful from your past. I . . . I'm sorry. Next time tell to mind my own business."

Smiling sadly, Brennan replied, "You didn't do anything wrong Booth. You're curious and you want to know. I can understand that. I told you to ask me if you have any questions about the things that have occurred in your past that you are uncertain of and I meant it. Sully is part of your past as well as mine."

Glancing at Brennan, Booth smiled, "Thanks Bones. I just don't want to make you sad with all of my questions. My memory is like Swiss cheese. It has these holes in it in the weirdest places. Sometimes I can remember the why but not the who or the who but not the why. It's kind of frustrating."

Nodding her head, Brennan reached over and patted Booth's arm, "I understand Booth. We'll get through this together. Don't hesitate to ask me questions. I mean that. The more questions you ask the better."

Smiling, Booth watched the traffic slow in front of him. Glancing at Brennan, Booth thought about what Brennan had said about Sully, "So hot stuff screwed up, too bad for him."

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Rebecca and Daniel Yoder had been so sad to hear about the talent that they didn't know their son had that was lost with his death. They had never heard anything like it and Booth could see the pain in their faces as they watched Levi play the piano on the DVD. Rebecca had been truly affected by the beauty in her son's gift for music.

Booth had followed Brennan outside and stood on the porch waiting for the music to stop. They knew that the Yoder's wouldn't want to keep the portable DVD player; so, he and Brennan needed to wait until the Yoders had seen the magic of their son's gift before taking the player away from them.

Glancing at Brennan's sad face, Booth leaned against the porch column watching her struggling to understand a belief that said that music was bad. Faith was hard and sometimes there were no clear cut answers.

Once the Yoders were done, Daniel had walked out on to the porch and returned the DVD player. Handing it over very reluctantly Daniel smiled sadly, "Thank you Agent Booth. Thank you for finding out what happened to our boy and thank you for letting us see and hear the beautiful creation that Levi was capable of. We . . . thank you."

Nodding his head, Booth took the DVD player in his hands, "I'm sorry for your loss, Sir."

Shoulders slumped Daniel nodded his head and reentered his home.

Brennan sad that the world had lost a great pianist and wasn't even aware of it walked to the truck and waited for Booth to follow her. Looking around at the neat farm, Brennan opened the passenger side door and entered the truck.

Booth, opening the driver's side door, placed the DVD player under his seat and slid onto the seat. Starting the truck, Booth turned to look at Brennan's sad face. Reaching out and placing his hand on her knee, Booth smiled, "You did good Bones. You let them see what a great musician their son was. They'll have that memory with them until they die. It was a kind thing to do."

Reaching up and brushing a tear from her face, Brennan glanced at Booth, "If it was my child, I would want to know."

Patting her knee, Booth smiled. Starting the truck, Booth drove down the farm lane to the highway. Entering the highway, Booth glanced at Brennan, "Hey, I know, why don't we watch a movie tonight. We can watch that John Wayne movie you love, you know, "The Quiet Man."

Shaking her head, Brennan protested, "Oh Booth, I've made you see that movie at least three times. I'm sure you're tired of it by now."

Holding up his right hand and pointing at himself, Booth laughed, "Who me? No way. I like that movie. What's not to like? They have the longest fist fight in movie history in that movie. It's funny."

Cocking her head, Brennan studied Booth's profile, "Alright, we can order Pizza and watch it tonight."

Nodding his head, Booth glanced at Brennan, "Alright, that's my girl. A movie, beer, pizza. It'll be perfect, you'll see."

"Thanks Booth."

Puzzled, Booth glanced at Brennan and then back at the road, "For what?"

Smiling, Brennan replied, "For being you, for being so nice to me."

Shaking his head, Booth responded, "It isn't hard to do, Bones."

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Please let me know what you think of my story. Thanks.


	21. Chapter 21

(The Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)

Thanks for reading my story. If you have time, please review my story.

I don't own Bones.

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_They were standing in front of a minister in a church that was clear. Brennan's arms were around him and she was hugging him. She looked so beautiful with her hair pulled up . . ._

His alarm clock radio blaring out Stevie Nicks singing "Gypsy", Booth sat up abruptly on his bed. Scrubbing his hands across his face, Booth sighed, "Oh, man."

Reaching out and slamming his fist down on the radio, Booth finally had the quiet he needed. Falling back and letting his head hit his pillow, Booth closed his eyes, "That was not a memory dream, damn it, no way."

Opening his eyes in frustration, Booth sat back up and rolled he muscles in his neck and shoulders. Sitting on the edge of his bed, Booth placed his feet on the floor and prepared to feel the pain that always came when he first stood up. His phone ringing, Booth stood up before he was ready, hissed and hobbled to the dresser. Picking up his phone, Booth saw it was Rebecca.

"Yeah, this is Booth."

"Seeley, I was wondering if I could get you to take Parker today. His sitter called me and she can't make it in. She was in an automobile wreck a little while ago. I have to take a witness statement this morning and I can't miss it."

Sighing, Booth replied, "I'll come and get him."

"Thanks, Seeley."

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Booth had been grateful that Angela had agreed to look after Parker while he and Brennan had run out to a crime scene. He hadn't been very happy when he'd returned to the Hoover to find his son's face painted in bright gold and red colored paint and that Parker had been asking every woman he came across to be his father's girlfriend.

Taking his son into the bathroom, Booth had tried to scrub the paint off of Parkers skin and managed to get most of it off; but, not all. "Parker, your mother is going to be pissed when she sees your face."

Smiling, Parker replied, "I think it's cool Dad."

Shaking his head, Booth tried once more to get the paint off of his son's face only to find that the paint could still be faintly seen. "Oh, well, I tried. If your mother wants to get mad then there isn't anything I can do about it."

Puzzled, Parker asked, "Why would she get mad, Dad? It's just paint. Angela says I can take it off with makeup remover."

Smiling, Booth ruffled his son's hair, "I'm all out of that stuff, Parker. I guess you'll have to get some from your mother."

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After arresting Mary Kay, Elliot and James for the murder of Kurt Bissette, Booth had driven Brennan back to the Jeffersonian.

Curious, Brennan stared at Booth, "Do you still wish to own a house with a white picket fence in the suburbs?"

Puzzled, Booth glanced at Brennan, "Uh . . . yeah, maybe some day. Why are you asking?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "We've just seen the stress that living in the suburbs can cause, I just thought you'd changed your mind."

Laughing, Booth shook his head, "Those guys were caught up in a soap opera. The victim was having sex with every woman that would let him and his wife drugged him to try to stop it. Then he built that damn windmill that drove everyone nuts. That whole situation was not normal. What you saw wasn't normal."

Turning to look out of the passenger window, Brennan replied, "Sweets seems to think that it was normal."

Shaking his head, Booth stared at the red light coming up, "Sweets said. Bones, that kid is a psychologist. He studies the abnormal. Believe me, what we saw isn't normal."

Glancing at Brennan and then back at the red light turning green, Booth asked, "So, Bones, I have a question for you."

Curious, Brennan turned back to stare at Booth, "What is it?"

Staring straight ahead, Booth asked, "Have you ever thought about getting married?"

Frowning, Brennan replied, "You may not remember it, Booth; but, I've told you in the past, I don't believe in the institution of marriage. It is an ancient tradition that has long outlived its usefulness in modern society."

Startled, Booth glanced at Brennan and then back at the road, "Bones, marriage is . . . uh, people get married to . . ." Scratching his head, Booth tried again, "Look a marriage certificate allows the spouse certain rights in society. Say if we were married and I got hurt, you'd have the right to all of my medical information and you could make medical decisions for me. A girlfriend or a friend couldn't do that."

Rolling her eyes, Brennan replied, "A medical proxy would take care of that problem. The fact is, I still have your medical proxy. You gave me it to me before your operation. Do you wish to revoke that privilege?"

Startled, Booth replied, "I did? . . . No of course I don't want to revoke it. You're my partner and my best friend. I might need you to make decisions for me if I'm ever hurt on the job or get sick again. I sure as hell don't trust Jared to make those decisions."

Scrunching his face, Booth thought furiously, "Ok I got it, if we were married you'd be my beneficiary if I was killed. You could collect my life insurance."

Glancing at Booth's hands, Brennan responded, "All you have to do is just make me your beneficiary. We still wouldn't need to be married, besides, I would think that you would want Parker as your beneficiary not me."

Frustrated, Booth glanced at Brennan and then back at the road again, "Look being married lets you show society that you love someone and that you're committed to being in a permanent relationship with that person. It tells the world that you belong to someone."

"I'm not chattel, Booth. I don't belong to anyone."

Sighing, Booth shook his head, "Never mind, Bones. Just never mind."

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Sitting in Sweets office, Booth held his head up with his right hand and stared at the far wall.

"Is something wrong, Agent Booth? You haven't said anything since you walked in to my office. These sessions are to help you with any problems you may be having. To do that, you need to actually talk to me."

Sighing, Booth moved his hand down and placed it on the arm of the couch, "Nothing's wrong. I guess I'm just a little depressed that I'm still having memory problems. I thought I'd be better by now."

Shaking his head, Sweets stared at Booth's sad face, "It takes time. Sometimes it takes years to fully recover from something like this. You are doing remarkably well, Agent Booth. I mean, really well. Most of your memory is back as far as we can tell. Those memories that are missing don't appear to be affecting your day to day life or your job. . . How are you doing on the practice range? Will you be ready to recertify soon?"

Turning his eyes on Sweets, Booth shrugged his shoulders, "It's going ok. I still need more practice. . . Look I just want to know how bad this really is. Are you and Bones keeping anything back about me? Is there something else wrong with me and you're not telling me?"

Holding his hands out in a placating manner, Sweets tried to use a soothing tone, "No of course not. You had a non-malignant brain tumor, it was successfully removed. You had some severe memory loss after you woke up from a coma; but, you appear to have recovered a major portion of that memory. You're doing your job and you know the things you need to know. You're very lucky."

Standing up, Booth glowered at Sweets, "Stop telling me I'm lucky. My life is a mess and I am not lucky." Breathing hard, Booth turned and walked over to the window. Staring at the building across the street, Booth shook his head, "I'm not lucky. I'm not lucky and I never have been."

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Reviews are really appreciated. Thanks.


	22. Chapter 22

(A Night at the Bones Museum)

Thanks for reading my story. I appreciate all reviews. If you have time, please let me know what you think of my story.

I don't own Bones.

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_He was holding onto Epps' hand, trying to keep him from falling. His hand was starting to sweat and his arm was starting to feel like it was on fire. Feeling the fingers of Epps' hand slip from his, Booth watched in horror as he saw Epps plunge to his death. Seeing the broken body lying below him, Booth felt sick. _

_Moving from the balcony to the dining room, Booth sat down and stared at his hand. The hand that had held a life in it and then let it go. Nauseous, Booth tried to shut out the look of terror on Epps' face as he fell to the sidewalk below. Brennan, trying to be of help, made coffee and gave Booth a cup of the hot dark liquid. Staring at the cup, Booth finally moved the cup to his lips and drank. _

_After Special Agent Ramirez released him, Booth fled Brennan's apartment. Climbing into his truck, Booth started up the engine and drove down the street in a daze. Not paying close attention to his surroundings, Booth ran a red light and almost t-boned a Corolla, stopping just in time to keep him and the other driver from being hurt._

_Trembling, Booth waited for the Corolla to finish driving through the intersection and then continued across the intersection. Once he was safely on the other side, he pulled his truck over to the curb. Turning off his engine, Booth placed his hands on his knees and stared at the dark street before him. Unable to forget Epps' broken body on the sidewalk below the balcony, Booth wept._

Opening his eyes, Booth felt tears on his face. Pulling his sheet up, he used a corner to wipe his face dry. Staring at the ceiling, Booth watched the shadows slowly disappear as sunlight slowly entered his bedroom.

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Sitting in the diner, Brennan watched Booth sip his coffee. He looked tired and that worried her. "Are you sleeping properly, Booth? You seem to be tired this morning."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "I guess I had a memory dream last night. It was . . . I guess it made me restless and I couldn't go back to sleep after it woke me up."

"Would you like to tell me about it?"

Shrugging his shoulders, "We talked about it a few weeks ago; so, you probably wouldn't want to talk about it again."

Reaching out her hand, Brennan placed it over Booth's hand, "Booth, let's talk about it. I think you need to and I don't mind. It might help you."

Nodding his head, Booth gave her a sad smile, "I had a dream about how Howard Epps died. I . . . we talked about how he tried to commit suicide and you told me that I tried to save him, well, I dreamed about that last night. He jumped over the balcony railing and I grabbed his hand; but, he just dangled there. He refused to help me save him. Why did he do that? If he'd helped me I could have saved him; but, he just let me drop him."

Squeezing Booth's hand, Brennan responded, "You didn't drop him, Booth. He was a dead weight and you couldn't hold onto his hand forever. He wanted to die. Howard Epps didn't want to go back to prison to sit on death row. You tried to save him; but, there is no way you could have done so."

Watching Brennan's concerned face, Booth tried to smile, "It sure would be nice if I just got the rest of my memories back all at once. This piecemeal shit is driving me crazy."

Concerned, Brennan asked, "Isn't your visits with Dr. Sweets helping?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "I don't trust him enough to really talk to him. After you told me what he did to you; I've been afraid to tell him anything important. How do I know he won't use it against me in that damn book he's writing?"

"Why don't you talk to Dr. Wyatt?"

Shaking his head, Booth asked, "Who's Dr. Wyatt?"

Frowning, Brennan replied, "When you shot the mechanical clown's head, the FBI had you see Dr. Gordon Wyatt. You called him Gordon Gordon.. You saw him for several weeks and you felt that he was very good at his job and was very helpful. He has retired from the FBI; but, he may still be taking patients."

Nodding his head, Booth replied, "I'll check my desk and see if I have his business card."

Sitting up straight, Brennan changed the topic, "Andrew Hacker has asked me to go on a date with him."

Shocked, Booth sat up straight, "What?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan explained, "I've met him a few times and he seems interested in me. He asked me to go on a date with him. I think he wants to have sex with me."

Feeling short of breath, Booth breathed in and out a few times, "Bones, he's my boss. I don't think you should date him."

Puzzled, Brennan asked, "Why?"

Thinking furiously, Booth explained, "Andrew Hacker is the Assistant Deputy Director. I have to answer to him. If he decides that I'm . . . look, he could make my life a living hell if you . . ." Shaking his head, Booth bit his lower lip, "Bones, please don't date him."

Seeing that Booth was growing more upset as the minutes progressed, Brennan reached over and took Booth's hands in hers, "Booth, if you don't want me to date Andrew then I won't. I'm not sure I understand why you don't want me to; but, if you don't want me to then I won't. I trust you and I know you wouldn't tell me not to if you didn't have a legitimate reason."

Nodding his head, Booth tried to smile, "Bones, I . . . thank you. Thank you for trusting me."

Smiling, Brennan replied, "I do trust you Booth. I'll call Andrew this afternoon and let him know I'm not available."

Squeezing her hands, Booth glanced at their entwined fingers and replied, "Maybe I can make it up to you. Would you like to go to the movies tonight? I think we could probably make the time and go. It would be fun. Please?"

Seeing the pleading look on Booth's face, Brennan replied, "Yes, it might be fun."

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Reviews would be very welcome. Thanks.

A/n: I hated it when Brennan dated Andrew Hacker. Just in case you think I'm biased, I wasn't thrilled about Booth dating Catherine Bryar or Blondie either.


	23. Chapter 23

(A Night at the Bones Museum)

Thanks for all of your support. The response to this story has been really good. There have been a few PMs asking me when Booth and Brennan are going to get together. Booth has his campaign going to win Brennan but at the same time he has to deal with his health issues and memory loss. I can say it will be done quicker than it was done on the show.

I don't own Bones, darn it.

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_They were standing in Sweets' office. Booth wanted Brennan to hurry up and ask Sweets to come with them; but, she was standing there, looking a little disconcerted. Suddenly she blurted out, "My foster parents locked me in the trunk of a car for two days when I broke a dish. I was a very clumsy child. They warned me it would happen; but, the water so hot and the soap was so slippery. I still don't think it was fair even though they gave me fair warning. The water was so hot."_

_Horrified at what he heard, he stared at his partner unable to speak._

_Brennan looked at him and prodded him to speak, "Ok, your turn. Go."_

_Suddenly nervous, he shook his head, "I came here to bring Sweets back to my place for dinner, that's all."_

_Seeing the pleading look on Brennan's face, Booth sighed, "Ok, if it wasn't for my grandfather I probably would have killed myself when I was a kid. That's all I'm going to say on the subject matter. Understand? Are you ok, Bones?"_

_Holding his handkerchief in her hand, she replied, "Yeah, I'm fine." Placing his handkerchief back in his jacket pocket, she presses her hand against his chest. After she withdraws her hand from his chest, he reaches up and presses his hand where her hand had rested. Staring at her, he wants to hold her and comfort her; but, of course he can't. They're standing in Sweets office and he's watching them. He's always watching them. . ._

A pounding noise waking him up, Booth sat up and listened. Hearing the pounding noise again, Booth rolled out of bed, hobbled out of his bedroom and then down the short hallway to the front door. Opening the door, Booth stared at his partner.

Irritated, Brennan asked, "Why aren't you dressed? I thought you wanted to run this morning?"

Rubbing his eyes, Booth apologized, "Sorry, I overslept. Give me a few minutes."

Turning, Booth walked back to his bedroom to change, closing the bedroom door behind him.

Brennan, watching Booth walk carefully away from her, followed him down the hallway into the living room. Waiting near his couch, Brennan watched his bedroom door. Seeing the door finally open, Brennan asked, "Why did you oversleep? Are you still having trouble sleeping?"

Shrugging, Booth walked into the living room holding his running shoes. Sitting down on his recliner, Booth put them on. "Yeah, a little, don't worry about it."

Standing, Booth ran his hands through his hair and smiled, "Thanks for running with me. I'm probably a little out of shape since I haven't worked out much since the operation."

Smiling, Brennan walked towards the apartment door, "Well, I'll try to be easy on you then."

Frowning, Booth followed Brennan out of the door, "Hey, I'm not that out of shape."

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After arresting Dr. Steven Turnball for the murder of the curator of the Egyptian Exhibit, Booth and Brennan recovered the ruby that Turnball had stolen out of the mummified body of Anok, 'the boy with the bleeding heart'. The Egyptian government grateful for the recovery of the gem and the exoneration of Anok decided to host a banquet in Brennan's honor.

"Booth I have a favor to ask of you."

Looking up from this report, Booth stared at his partner, "I'll do it."

Shaking her head, Brennan responded, "You haven't let me tell you what the favor is, Booth."

Smiling, Booth replied, "I don't need to hear it. Whatever the favor is, the answer is yes."

Picking up her report, Brennan perused what she'd written on her report up to that point.

Curious, Booth cleared his throat, "Just out of curiosity what did I agree to do?"

Looking up, Brennan smiled, "The Egyptian government is going to throw a banquet in my honor in four days. You just agreed to be my date."

Smiling, Booth leaned forward, "Good to know. Where are they having it?"

Glancing at her report, Brennan noticed an error, "Oh, it's being held at the Jeffersonian. It's to coincide with the opening of the Egyptian Exhibit."

Leaning back in his chair, Booth studied Brennan as she marked through something on her report, "I made an appointment to go see Dr. Wyatt. I'm going to see him tomorrow afternoon. He says he doesn't practice anymore; but, he's willing to see me privately. He's a cook would you believe that? Anyway, he said he'll talk to me because I used to be a patient of his."

Looking back up from her report, Brennan nodded her head, "That's good, Booth. Perhaps he can help you with your memory problem. If not, at least he can help you try to understand why you're not sleeping well at night."

Rubbing his left hand, Booth looked towards his office window, "Yeah, I hope so . . . uh, Bones, don't tell Dr. Sweets that I'm seeing Dr. Wyatt. I don't want him to know about it."

Puzzled, Brennan asked, "Why? Dr. Wyatt might want to consult with Dr. Sweets since Dr. Wyatt hasn't seen or talked to you for six months."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "I want to be able to talk to Dr. Wyatt about personal stuff and I don't want him to consult with Dr. Sweets about any of it."

Nodding her head, Brennan smiled, "Of course, I won't tell Dr. Sweets anything about Dr. Wyatt."

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Smiling, Gordon rose from his chair and held out his hand, "Agent Booth, it's been awhile; so, how have you been? Shot any clowns lately?"

Taken aback, Booth stared at Gordon Wyatt with confusion.

Puzzled, Gordon cocked his head to the side and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Licking his bottom lip, Booth cleared his throat, "Uh . . . you ah . . . I was a patient of yours once and I need your help. You see you may not know it; but, I had a tumor in my head a few months ago and I had to have it removed. . . I lost most of my memory at first; but, a lot of it has come back since then. Well enough of it has come back that I can work and stuff. . . "

Pointing at the couch to his right, Gordon sat on the chair facing it. Booth, nodding his head, moved over to the couch and sat down.

"So Doc, the thing is, I need some help. I'm having trouble sleeping at night. I have these dreams hit me and sometimes I know what they're about and sometimes I don't. They're really vivid and after I've had one it's hard to go back to sleep. I worry about the stuff I dream about. Sometimes I don't know if they're memories or not and I worry about that."

Studying Booth's pensive face, Gordon asked, "Aren't you seeing someone else about this? You haven't been trying to handle this by yourself have you?"

Shaking his head, Booth pulled his dice from his pocket and rolled them in his right hand, "Nah, I'm seeing Dr. Sweets. The thing is, I can't talk to him about the stuff I need to and Bones thought I should talk to you because she said you helped me when I shot some mechanical clown head. She said I really thought you were good and that's what I'm counting on Doc. If you're as good as Bones says you are then you're the guy I need to see."

Rubbing his chin, Gordon stared at Booth, "You keep saying Bones says. Does that mean that you don't remember me?"

Shaking his head slowly, Booth replied, "No, sorry, I don't."

Sighing, Gordon smiled, "Well, as I told you on the phone I'm a chef now; but, since you are a former of patient of mine, I will do my best to help you. I no longer work for the FBI; so, that should make you more comfortable talking to me."

Smiling, Booth replied, "Yeah, it will. Thanks Doc. I know you don't have to do this so I really appreciate it.

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I really like Gordon Gordon. Please let me know what you think of my story so far. Thanks.


	24. Chapter 24

(A Night at the Bones Museum)

Thank you for your kind reviews.

I don't own Bones.

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"So you're coming to me because your partner, Dr. Brennan told you to?"

Nodding his head, Booth smiled, "Sure. She knows you aren't practicing anymore; but, she thought you might talk to me anyway since I used to be a patient of yours."

Smiling, Booth continued, "Bones knows me better than anyone. She's been helping me with my memory loss. She lets me ask her anything I want about our past and she tries to answer it. Bones is a very honest person so I can count on her to give me an honest answer and not to sugar coat anything. I need to know the truth and I know she'll tell it to me."

Clearing his throat, Gordon asked, "You say you can't trust Dr. Sweets, can you explain why?"

Rubbing his ear, Booth glanced towards the window behind the psychologist, "Yeah, well, he did something once to Bones and I didn't find out about it until a few weeks ago. What he did was unethical and I won't tell you what it was because I don't want the guy to lose his job, I mean it wasn't a crime or anything it just made me not trust him with personal stuff. He's a nice kid and he wants to help me; but, I just can't bring myself to trust him. . . Look, I don't know if you know it; but, he's writing a book about me and Bones and I think he's more interested in his book than he is in me right now."

Worried about what he was hearing, Gordon bit his lower lip, "Agent Booth, if Dr. Sweets did something unethical maybe he needs to be brought before a review board."

Shaking his head, Booth glanced back at Gordon, "It wasn't that bad, Doc, really. It just made Bones and me mad. I've made arrangements to make sure that he never pulls another stunt like that again. Don't worry about it. What he did can't be repeated; so, anyways, since I don't want to talk to him about more personal stuff, I was hoping that I could see you."

Nodding his head slowly, Gordon commented, "I will take your word about Dr. Sweets; but, if you change your mind then please let me know . . . So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Leaning forward, Booth stared at Gordon, "When I had the tumor removed, I didn't handle the anesthesia very well and I was in a coma for a few days. When I woke up, I found out that I couldn't remember anything that had happened to me for the last three and a half years. It was awful. I didn't remember that Bones was my partner, I didn't remember anyone at the Jeffersonian except Cam and the only reason I knew her is because we went to college together. I couldn't remember any of my cases that Bones and me worked, I mean everything I'd done for three and a half years was gone. It was . . . . It was bad."

Nodding his head, Gordon leaned back and crossed his legs, "But it wasn't permanent?"

Shaking his head, Booth responded, "No, thank God. One night I had this memory dream about Bones being kidnapped by the Gravedigger and when I woke up, I found out that a big chunk of my memory was back."

"But not all?"

Shaking his head he put his dice back into his jacket pocket, "No, not all of it, just a lot of it. It's weird what I don't remember. I mean, sometimes I can remember knowing someone but not why I know them or I can remember a case and everything about the case except when it happened. The things I don't remember don't make sense to me. For instance I had this dream and it reminded me that Bones dated Sully; but, when I woke up I didn't know if she was still dating the guy or not. That stuff really irritates the shit out of me."

"Is Dr. Brennan still dating Sully?"

Frowning, Booth replied, "Nah, he screwed up. She's not dating anyone right now. I asked her about it yesterday and she told me that she's too busy to date right now."

Staring at his hands, Booth debated continuing, "You know this is going to sound weird Doc; but, when I woke up from my coma I woke up in pain. I don't mean the pain in my head. I mean my body hurt. I was used to waking up with pain in my feet; but, this was different. My knees hurt, my neck and shoulder hurt and they've been hurting off and on ever since. Something happened to me in the last three year and half years to cause this and I don't have a clue what it is. Bones told me about being shot and tortured; but that doesn't explain what I'm feeling."

"Have you asked Dr. Brennan?"

Shaking his head slowly, Booth clenched his hands, "I can't. I can't ask her why I'm falling apart. Maybe she doesn't know about it. Maybe it wasn't something I told her about. I don't want her to think I can't handle my job."

Staring at Booth's worried face, Gordon commented, "Maybe she does know. Just ask her."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "I can't."

Sighing, Gordon asked, "Have you checked with a doctor about it?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "No. It's not like it keeps me from doing my job and as long as I can protect Bones, I'm not really worried about it. I just told you about it so you could see that my memory sucks and in a big way."

Nodding his head, Gordon asked, "Dr. Brennan has been a great friend to you in your time of need."

Smiling, Booth answered, "She sure has. I don't know what I would have done if Bones hadn't helped me. She's still helping me and I really appreciate that."

Smiling, Gordon remarked, "You love her."

Wary, Booth leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms, "Where the hell did that come from?"

"You may not remember me; but, I've known you for quite awhile, Agent Booth. I know you love her. It's not a guess."

Staring at Gordon, Booth chewed the inside of his mouth.

Smiling, Gordon asked, "So, you don't trust me either?"

Licking his lower lip, Booth responded, "I don't know you Doc."

Nodding his head, Gordon leaned forward, "But I do know you, Agent Booth. It's all right if you don't want to talk about it . . . What do you want me to do for you?"

"Those dreams I have, when I wake up it's almost impossible to go back to sleep. I'm getting tired and I need to be able to sleep through the night. Used to be I was happy with seven hours of sleep; but, lately, I'm lucky if I can get four or five hours of solid sleep. It's starting to take a toll on me, Doc. I'm tired all of the time. I'm afraid I'm going to get my partner killed if I don't fix this soon."

Nodding his head, Gordon responded, "I can go over some relaxation techniques that might help you. You might want to give up drinking alcohol for a while. Alcohol has been known to affect sleep."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth remarked, "Not a problem, Doc."

"Good."

Clearing his throat, Booth stared at Gordon, "I'm not in love with Bones."

Smiling, Gordon replied, "Deny it all you wish, Agent Booth. You and I both know you're trying to snow me."

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That evening, Booth tried the techniques that Gordon thought might help him. Hopeful he lay down and relaxed.

_Sitting in the movie theater, Booth and Brennan were sitting in the back of the theater, "Ok, Bones, let me have at least some of the popcorn. I did pay for it."_

_Hugging the popcorn tub against her chest, Brennan replied, "You said you wanted only a sip of my drink and then you drank the whole thing. If you want any popcorn then go buy me a replacement drink."_

"_Ah come on Bones. The good part of the movie is coming up in a few minutes."_

_Shaking her head, Brennan turned to stare at her friend in the dark, "Then you'd best hurry."_

_Sighing, Booth trudged into the lobby and stood in line to buy a drink. When he got to the head of the line, Booth smiled and ordered the largest soda they had for his partner and a small coke for himself._

_Arriving back in time to see the part he'd wanted to see, Booth handed the gigantic drink to Brennan._

"_Booth a small drink would have sufficed."_

_Ignoring his partner, Booth put his hand in the popcorn tub and started munching the tasty snack. _

_Brennan, mesmerized by the scene being played out on the screen before her slowly drank her drink. Not realizing it, she'd drunk most of it and soon started to feel uncomfortable, "Oh, I have to go to the bathroom."_

_Shoving her drink and the tub of popcorn at Booth, Brennan stood up and hurried out to the restroom. Laughing, Booth munched happily and sipped his coke._

Waking, Booth smiled and then realized that he needed to go. Sliding out of bed, Booth laughed, "Who knew that dream cokes could make you have to go."

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Reviews would really be appreciated, thanks.


	25. Chapter 25

( A Night at the Bones Museum )

Thank you for the great reviews. I really do appreciate the time you take to do that.

I don't own Bones.

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When he'd arrived at her apartment, he'd meant to just run inside and escort her out to his SUV as quickly as possible. He was running a little late and he didn't want to embarrass his partner by delivering her late to her own party.

Knocking on her door, Booth glanced down the hallway to check out the handsome man entering the apartment across from the elevator. Frowning, Booth turned back to face the door when heard the door open, "Come on Bones, we're running. . . "

Stunned, Booth stopped speaking and stared at Brennan.

Puzzled, Brennan placed her hand on Booth's arm, "What's wrong?"

Shaking his head, Booth smiled, "Wow, Bones. I mean wow!"

Smiling a little uncertainly, Brennan responded, "You've seen me in this dress before."

Shaking his head slowly, Booth sighed, "The hell I have. You look beautiful Bones. I mean, I'm going to have to beat them off with a stick tonight. I can see it right now."

Confused, Brennan asked, "Beat who off with a stick? Booth, you aren't making any sense."

Smiling, Booth stepped into her apartment, "Oh, I'm making perfect sense. You're beautiful Bones. Every man at the party tonight is going to be hot to meet you. You'll see."

Shaking her head, Brennan picked up her purse from the table next to the door and responded, "We need to leave Booth or we're going to be late."

Nodding, Booth stepped out into the hallway, "So Bones, you have a new neighbor?"

Leaving her apartment, Brennan closed and locked the door, "Yes, Thaddeus Smith moved in two days ago. He's an analyst at the CIA."

Frowning, Booth stared at the closed apartment door of the new neighbor. Entering the elevator car, Booth waited for Brennan to enter the car and then hit the down button.

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Drumming his fingers on the arm of the couch, Booth stared over Gordon's shoulder.

Puzzled about Booth's apparent jitteriness, Gordon cleared his throat, "Agent Booth, what has you so antsy? You haven't been still since you've arrived."

Stopping the drumming, Booth moved his eyes to Gordon, "You're a not a FBI psychologist?"

Nodding his head, Gordon replied, "Of course not, you know that. I'm a Chef now. I'm just seeing you until we can get you squared away."

Sighing, Booth crossed his right foot on his left knee and wiggled his foot.

Growing a little impatient, Gordon leaned forward and placed his hand on Booth's foot to prevent him from moving it. "What is the problem, Agent Booth?"

Crossing his arms across his chest, Booth exclaimed, "I can't shoot anymore."

Frowning, Gordon released Booth's foot and leaned back, "At all?"

Shaking his head, Booth snorted, "I can shoot I just can't hit my target like I'm supposed to. I think that hole they put in my head has ruined me. If I can't shoot, the FBI is either going to force me to take a medical retirement or they're going to keep me out of the field. I can't let that happen to me. I have to be able to go out into the field. Bones is relying on me to protect her."

Rubbing his chin, Gordon asked, "Have you talked to Dr. Sweets about this problem?"

Slamming his right foot down on the ground, Booth leaned forward, "Doc, I can't tell him about this. He works for the FBI. He'd have to rat me out. It's his job. That's why I'm talking to you about it."

Lacing his fingers and placing them on his chest, Gordon studied Booth. "Alright, why not just stay out of the field. You're in charge of Major Crimes. I imagine it isn't really normal for a section chief to go out into the field. Just have the FBI assign someone else as a partner for Dr. Brennan."

Straightening up, Booth glowered at Gordon, "No. . . no, I'm her partner. Me. Besides, she won't work with anyone else."

Laughing, Gordon remarked, "You mean no one at the FBI wants to work with Dr. Brennan."

Staring at Gordon, Booth finally leaned back and smiled, "Both, I guess. The FBI needs her Doc. She's the best there is. I have to work with her. The FBI needs her."

Cocking his head, Gordon observed, "You need her as well."

Sighing, Booth glanced over Gordon's shoulder, "Yeah, I need her too."

Studying the pensive look on Booth's face, Gordon asked, "Can you get me a copy of your brain scan? I'd like to look at it."

Nodding his head, Booth replied, "Sure, Bones has some copies."

Interested, Gordon smiled, "She's been actively helping you in your case, monitoring your health?"

Nodding his head, Booth answered, "Sure, she's my friend and she wants to make sure that I'm doing ok."

Pursing his lips, Gordon asked, "Does Dr. Brennan know you can't hit the broad side of a barn?"

Irritated, Booth snapped, "No she doesn't. This could affect her as much as me. I need to find out why I can't shoot and then fix it. I want to do that without worrying Bones. She's got enough to worry about besides that."

"What do you mean?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth sighed, "Bones thinks I don't eat like I use to and I'm losing weight. I tell her it's ok; but, she won't believe me. Stuff like that."

Concerned, Gordon asked, "Do you know why you aren't eating like you used to? Have you talked to your family doctor about it?"

Nodding his head, Booth replied, "Yeah, he says my sense of smell is probably off and that effects how I eat. When your sense of smell is lost or off you can't taste foods like you normally do. Dr. Shank says that it'll probably come back eventually. I've told that to Bones a bunch of times; but, she doesn't want to listen to me. She argues with me about it at least a couple times a week."

Smiling, Gordon responded, "She cares about you."

Nodding his head, Booth smiled, "Yeah she does. I love her for it. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Surprised that Booth admitted it, Gordon leaned forward, "So you do love her."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "Yeah, I do. She doesn't love me though. Right now I'm kind of trying to sort of woo her. I'm taking it slow and steady. I hope that someday she'll really see me and maybe fall in love with me. I just have to be patient. She already loves me as a friend. I'm hoping that someday she can take the next step and love me as a man and not just as a friend."

Smiling grimly, Gordon observed, "It might be a long campaign."

Nodding his head, Booth smiled, "Yeah, I know that too. I'm a sniper Doc. If I really want to be patient I can be. Hell, if I had to, I could watch a rose grow."

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	26. Chapter 26

(The Tough Man in the Tender Chicken)

Thanks for reading my story. Please review my story and let me know what you think of it. Thanks.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Booth was waiting in Brennan's office for a report she'd promised him when Angela walked in, "Booth, just the person I'd like to talk to."

Looking up from his folder, Booth smiled, "What can I do for you?"

Walking across the room, Angela sat on the couch next to him. Holding out a picture of a piglet, Angela remarked, "You can help me save this piglet. I'm taking donations to buy him and have him sent to a place that will let him grow old and die there."

Smiling, Booth asked, "Do you know what my favorite meat is, I mean besides steak?'

Wary, Angela asked, "What?"

Rubbing his lip, Booth replied, "I love bacon. I love bacon and I am not giving you money to keep that pig from being made into bacon."

Shaking her head, Angela sighed, "I don't know how you can look at such a cute face and think it's ok to eat him."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "I don't look at the face when I buy my bacon. My bacon comes in a package already ready for me to cook. I'm a meat eater Angela. I always have been and I always will be. You can't guilt me out of eating meat."

Sighing, Angela stared at the picture. Looking up, Angela wiped a tear from her eye, "All I wanted was to save one pig. I know the meat industry is big and a lot of people eat meat. I just wanted to save this pig. Just this one."

Shaking his head, Booth removed his wallet from his pocket and pulled thirty dollars from the fold. Handing it to Angela, Booth smiled, 'This isn't because I'm giving up bacon. I'm giving it to you so you can try to save your little friend."

Leaning forward Angela grabbed Booth and hugged him. Brennan walking into her office, stared at the unexpected spectacle.

Booth noticing Brennan staring at them, pushed Angela gently away, "Fine Angela, I hope you save your piggy."

Standing, Angela waved the money and smiled, "Thank you Booth. My piggy and I thank you."

Walking past Brennan, Angela waved the two bills and left the office.

Walking over to the couch, Brennan remarked, "She's angry because I won't give her money for the pig."

Not saying anything, Booth stared at Brennan as she sat down next to him.

Shaking her head, Brennan remarked, "You eat meat and you gave her money for her pig?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "I didn't do it to save the pig. I did it because I think of her as a friend and I wanted to help her. I eat meat and I'm not going to give that up."

Irritated, Brennan exclaimed, "But it's a foolish waste of money."

Placing his wallet back in his pocket, Booth smiled, "Not to Angela."

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Brennan had written her check to save Angela's pig and she and Angela were now friends again. Booth had been irritated that Angela had taken such a harsh stand with her friend.

"You know Bones. That was a very nice thing that you did for Angela. Very nice. I want you to know that."

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "She was angry with me."

Nodding his head, Booth stared at Angela looking at her check and talking to Wendell. "She forgets that you're a vegetarian. You practice what you preach, Bones. I love that about you. You decided that you couldn't eat meat any more and you don't. You don't jump on causes you live them. I don't think Angela appreciates that."

Sighing, Brennan turned her back on Angela, "Angela has many causes that she's interested in."

Smiling at Brennan, Booth moved her wine glass towards her, "She eats meat Bones. Whose helping that particular cause more? It's good that you gave her the money so that you two can be friends again; but, we both know that you're the better person for doing it."

Drinking his coke, Booth placed the glass down and stared at the half empty glass.

Curious, Brennan asked, "Why are you drinking a coke?"

Looking up from his glass, Booth remarked, "Gordon wants me to give up alcohol for awhile. He said it might help me sleep."

Nodding her head, Brennan moved her wine glass to the side and motioned for the bartender, "We'd like two cokes over here, please."

The bartender, a little surprised at the teetotaling going on from two of his steady customers, placed two glasses of coke down in front of them.

Brennan picking up her glass, sipped it and smiled, "Has Dr. Wyatt helped you with your memory?"

Shaking his head, Booth finished his first glass of coke and moved the glass out of the way. Moving the new glass near him, Boot replied, "He said that's going to take time. He wants to help me with the other stuff though."

Concerned, Brennan stared at Booth, "What other concerns do you have?"

Rubbing the sweat on his glass, Booth replied, "The sleeping problem and . . . The sleeping problem. That's enough isn't it."

Placing her hand over his, Brennan asked, "Booth, you aren't trying to hide something from me are you? Is there something else wrong besides your lack of sleep?"

Staring at her hand on his, Booth responded, "There's something wrong with my ability to shoot. I'm not hitting my target like I should."

Tightening her grip on his hand, Brennan commented, "You just need to practice more."

Smiling, Booth looked up, "Yeah, that's probably it."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 

_He was sitting in his bathtub, naked staring at his partner, standing over near the bathroom doorway._

_Smiling slightly, Brennan remarked, "Just so you know, I find your lack of Puritan modesty very refreshing."_

_Realizing that his partner could see all of him, Booth lowered his comic book down to cover his manhood. Watching her abruptly turn, put the needle back on his record and leave, Booth gaped at the space where his partner had been standing. Placing his cigar back in his mouth, Booth shook his head, "Lack of Puritan modesty my ass."_

Waking, Booth groaned and sat up. Sighing, Booth rubbed his eyes with his hands. Rolling back over, Booth rested his head on his pillow and tried to blank his mind and forget the dream he'd just had. Instead of dreaming of sitting in a bathtub, naked before his very lovely partner, Booth tried to think of the things he needed to do before the weekend came. It was his turn to have Parker and he needed to go grocery shopping before he arrived.

"If I'm going to dream about being naked with Bones in the same room with me, it would be nice if she was naked and not just me. There is something seriously wrong with me."

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	27. Chapter 27

(The Dwarf in the Dirt)

Thanks for the great reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying my story.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Rubbing his right eyebrow, Booth stared over Gordon's shoulder.

Gordon, watching Booth's pensive face, finally broke the silence, "So your shooting hasn't improved?"

Shaking his head slowly, Booth moved his hand to the arm of the couch and turned his gaze upon Gordon, "No. I've practiced more lately than I'm sure I've done in a year; but, I can't seem to hit what I'm supposed to. I think that tumor may have killed my career."

Smiling, Gordon shook his head, "I really don't think so, Booth. I've seen you're MRI's and scans and I'm sure that isn't the problem. Did you talk to Dr. Brennan about it yet? What does she say is the problem?"

Griping the end of the arm of the couch, Booth frowned, "She says I need to practice more."

Nodding his head, Gordon stared at his younger friend, "Not a very adequate piece of advice."

Shaking his head, Booth moved his hand back up to his face and continued to rub his eyebrow. "They're going to take her away from me in a few weeks if I don't pass my recertification. She doesn't seem to get that. I told her that I have to pass recertification or they won't let me stay in the field; but, she just keeps telling me to practice harder."

"You're worried."

Exhaling sharply, Booth leaned back on the couch, "I'm afraid."

Curious, Gordon asked, "Afraid of what?"

Sad, Booth responded, "I'm afraid that I'll lose Brennan as my partner and then I'll lose her. I'm still trying to show her how much I love her; but, this has to be done very slowly. If there's one thing know about Temperance Brennan, you can't rush her. She needs the time to adjust to seeing me as something other than a friend and her partner. This is a long campaign Doc and I won't be able to continue it if they break up our partnership. I need to recertify; but, I don't think I can pass it."

Shaking his head, Gordon frowned, "I've looked over your medical charts, you're MRI and your CAT Scan and I'm telling you that your tumor has nothing to do with your inability to shoot. I think your lack of confidence and your anxiety over Dr. Brennan is affecting your ability to shoot. What I want to know is, why is your anxiety level so high? You have a plan to woo the doctor. Has she said something to cause you to doubt its outcome?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth cleared his throat, "She says she doesn't believe in marriage."

Crossing his arms across his chest, Gordon asked, "Is marriage that important to you? Would that preclude having a relationship with Dr. Brennan?"

Staring at Gordon, Booth shook his head, "No, not really. I'll take whatever relationship she wants to have. I'm just afraid that she'll never see me as more than a friend. My memory is screwed up and my health is kind of bad right now. I may not be her idea of the ideal man. Maybe I'm just kidding myself and I should just take a desk job and forget the whole thing."

Seeing that Booth was depressed, Gordon shook his head, "Listen Booth, you told me yourself that your campaign was going to take a long time. What's happened in the last week or so that's made you lose your confidence?"

Blushing, Booth looked towards the door, "Bones has a new neighbor."

Shaking his head, Gordon stared at Booth, "I don't understand. What does that have to do with your lack of confidence in yourself?"

Still staring at the door, Booth replied, "The guy is closer to Bones' age and he's pretty good looking. I mean, she can see that guy and she can see me and she has to be saying to herself, what the hell do I want with old screwed up Booth when I can have something better? Why would she be interested in me? I'm a damn mess."

Sighing, Gordon gave Booth a sad smile, "I've seen her with you, Agent Booth. She is interested in you, very much so. It may not be love the way you define it at least not yet; but, she really is attracted to you."

Shaking his head, Booth responded, "As a friend."

Slapping his hands on the arm rests of his chair, Gordon shouted, "What the hell is wrong with you? You've made remarkable improvements since your surgery. Your memory is a little iffy ; but, not so bad that it really can affect your personal or public life. You're working with your partner and you tell me she's not dating. That tells me that she isn't interested in anyone right now. I know you said you've started exercising again and you feel stronger. The only thing I see that you're really having a problem with is shooting which can be easily fixed and you're fixating on a new neighbor of Dr. Brennan's."

Sitting up straight, Booth glared at Gordon, "My shooting can easily be fixed? You tell me how!"

Smiling, Gordon responded, "You're inability to shoot correctly is lack of confidence not skill. Invite Dr. Brennan to your recertification. You won't miss, I can guarantee it."

Suspicious, Booth asked, "How do you know? I may screw up royally."

Shaking his head, Gordon replied, "You won't. Not in front of Dr. Brennan you won't. Once you pass the recertification I believe we'll see the return of your confidence."

"I'm not fixating on that new neighbor."

Smiling, Gordon responded, "Of course you are. Has Dr. Brennan shown any interest in this new neighbor? Does she mention him at all?"

Shaking his head, Booth answered, "Nah."

Staring at Booth's confused face, Gordon prodded, "If she was interested in him, wouldn't she have said something about him to you by now?"

Nodding his head, Booth stared at his hands, "Yeah, she would have. She's not shy about talking to me about other people."

Winking, Gordon responded, "There you have it. You're creating a problem that doesn't exist."

Clasping his hands together, Booth asked, "So you think her being at my recertification will help?"

Nodding his head, Gordon replied, "Absolutely."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

That afternoon, while driving back to the Jeffersonian, Booth glanced at Brennan, "Bones, I have a big favor to ask you. You can say no of course. You probably won't think its . . ."

Turning her head to stare at her partner, Brennan replied, "Yes. I'll do it."

Frowning, Booth replied, "You don't know what I was going to ask you to do, Bones. You may not want to do it or have time to . . ."

Smiling, Brennan interrupted Booth again, "The answer is still yes."

Grinning, Booth glanced at Brennan then back at the road, "Thanks Bones."

Pursing her lips, Brennan asked, "Just out of curiosity, what have I agree to do?"

Laughing, Booth reached over and patted her knee, "God, I love you Bones. You've agreed to be at my recertification in two days."

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "Just tell me where and what time and I'll there with whistles on."

Opening his mouth and then closing it, Booth smiled, "Thanks, Bones. I really do love you."

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A little different from the show; but, this story is AU. Reviews would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


	28. Chapter 28

(The Dwarf in the Dirt)

This is a reminder that this story is AU and that I'm not recapping the show. The chapters in this story take place between the scenes we've seen on the show or portray altered scenes.

Thank you for the reviews and the follows. I really appreciate the time you take to read and review my story.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 

Sitting in the Founding Fathers, Booth smiled at Brennan, "Thanks Bones for being there for me."

Smiling at Booth's happy face, Brennan patted his hand, "I told you that you only needed to practice. Obviously all of your hard work paid off. I was happy to be there for you; but, me being there had nothing to do with your improvement in your marksmen skills."

Turning his hand over, Booth clasped Brennan's hand. Staring at their hands, Booth sipped his coke and smiled, "You may not think you needed to be there; but, I really needed someone there that was on my side."

Watching Booth run his thumb across her thumb, Brennan sipped her club soda. "You're one of the best marksmen that the FBI has in the District, Booth."

Releasing her hand, Booth picked up the tab and glanced at it. Taking his wallet out of this jacket pocket, Booth pulled out a few bills, and placed them on the table.

"So you ready to go? I made a reservation for Gordon's restaurant. We have to be there soon."

Nodding her head, Brennan stood and picked up her purse, "It wasn't really necessary to treat me to dinner, Booth."

Shaking his head, Booth responded, "I want to besides I want to share my good news with Gordon. He's been a big help to me too."

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Arriving at the restaurant, Booth found that mentioning his name brought swift action. He and Brennan were shown to one of the more secluded tables. Sitting at the table, Booth realized that the table was situated in such a way that only a few people could see them.

Smiling, Booth ordered club sodas for both he and Brennan since she had decided to cut back on her alcohol consumption while he was teetotaling.

Their server had informed them that they wouldn't need a menu as the Chef was going to prepare his specials for them. After serving them their first course, the server had withdrawn to let the Chef know that his guests seemed to be pleased with the presentation.

Booth, happier than he'd been since he'd awakened from his coma, let Brennan do most of the talking. He wanted her to have a good time and he didn't want her to feel like he was anything less than happy at that moment.

After the main course had come and gone and they were drinking coffee, Brennan observed, "You haven't spoken very much this evening. Are you all right?"

Sipping his coffee, Booth smiled. Placing his coffee cup in front of him, Booth responded, "Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "You haven't said very much and that's not usual."

Glancing at his cup then back at Brennan, Booth responded, "I'm just happy right now."

Staring at his cup of coffee, Booth remarked, "So, we're officially partners again. I can go out in the field and you don't have to worry about me not being able to protect you anymore."

Frowning, Brennan picked up her cup of coffee, "I haven't been worried about that. I had confidence in your ability to use your weapon even if you didn't. You did stop that robbery at the store down the street from where you live only a few weeks after you were released from the hospital. You just needed to pass your recertification to see that you had nothing to worry about."

Nodding his head, Booth replied, "Yeah, you're right. I was really worried about that; but, it's done and now I can work on other stuff."

Gordon, arriving at their table, saw Booth and Brennan were finishing up their coffee, "Well I thought I'd better come out here and check on you. Your server said you didn't complain about anything or draw your gun and threaten him; so, I will assume that everything was to your satisfaction."

Laughing, Booth shook his head, "I only shoot mechanical clowns, remember?"

Laughing, Gordon replied, "So it's a good thing there aren't any around my restaurant."

A little confused at the weird turn in the conversation, Brennan remarked, "The meal was delicious."

Nodding his head, Gordon clasped his hands behind his back, "Very good. You'll have to come around sometime when I'm at the top of my game. My duck confit seemed to be a little off tonight; but, all in all everything seemed alright."

Shaking his head, Booth responded, "Don't kid a kidder, Doc. The duck was really good. . . I want you to know I passed my recertification."

Reaching out and patting Booth on the shoulder, Gordon replied, "See, I told you it was all in the wrist."

Opening his mouth and then quickly closing it, Booth shook his head, "Yeah . . . ok. We still on for Thursday?"

Smiling, Gordon replied, "Of course, I'll see you then. . . Wait here, I'll have your server bring you dessert. . . . Tut tut, you will be getting dessert. It's all part of the special. I can guarantee that it won't be terribly fattening, just a mere thousand calories or so."

A little shocked, Brennan responded, "A thousand calories?"

Patting Brennan's shoulder, Gordon smiled, "A thousand calories of heaven."

Laughing, Booth reached out and patted Brennan's hand, "Don't worry, Gordon can give us one dessert and we'll share it."

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_Watching her from a distance, Booth observed her lean over the grave and place flowers near the headstone. He watched her say something, shake her head and step away. As she slowly made her way back to the truck, Booth noticed the sad look on her face and it made him feel sad for her._

_Arriving at the truck, Brennan looked at Booth, "Thanks Booth. You were right. It does make me a little happier to put flowers on her grave. Even though she's dead and she doesn't know I put the flowers on her grave it makes me feel a little happier to have done so. I never gave her flowers when I was a child for Mother's Day and at least I can make sure her gravesite is pretty for one day."_

_Smiling, Booth put his arm around her shoulders and replied, "I think it was great thing to do, Bones. Those flowers are very nice and anyone that sees them will know that your mother was really loved."_

_Curious, Brennan asked, "What about your mother's gravesite?"_

_Sighing Booth replied, "Mom is alright Bones."_

Opening his eyes, Booth thought about his mother. "I hope you are alright."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Is it still interesting?

ale2695: I don't have a way to answer you; so, I'm answering you here. Booth has started a campaign to win Brennan to him; but, as we saw in episode 100 of the show, rushing her would be a mistake and this Booth knows that. They will become a couple faster than it was done on the show; but, it isn't going to be done in the next few chapters. I have a story plan and I need to stick to it for this story to make sense.


	29. Chapter 29

(The Foot in the Foreclosure)

Thanks for reviewing my story. They inspire me to write more.

I don't own Bones.

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Booth was a little depressed about Pops and how time was tearing down a great man before his eyes. He thought about his grandfather living in the Retirement Home and how such a sweet man was slowly losing his independence. Sad, Booth called in sick the next day and went for a drive. Turning his phone off, Booth aimlessly took I-495. After awhile he then moved on to I-270 and drove northward. Once he'd reached Frederick, Maryland he made his way onto I-70 North and kept driving. He didn't have a plan he just wanted to get away from everything for the day, for the weekend. For once, he didn't want to worry about anyone or anything. He just wanted to drive. He wanted to enjoy the scenery and maybe see something new. He was tired and wanted a little peace and a little quiet.

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Brennan had been working on a report for the case they had just finished and wanted to compare her notes against Booth's notes. Calling Booth's number, Brennan was immediately shunted to voicemail. Finding that a bit unusual, Brennan tried to call Booth's number again. Finding that she'd been diverted to voicemail again, Brennan called Charlie Burns.

"Charlie, this is Dr. Brennan. Have you seen Booth today?"

Staring at a report due on Hacker's desk by noon, Charlie absently answered, "No, he called in sick this morning."

Concerned, Brennan ended her call. Setting her report aside, Brennan moved on to a report that Cam wanted on her desk by the end of the day. Finding that she was unable to concentrate, Brennan stood up, grabbed her purse and left the Jeffersonian. Driving over to Booth's apartment, Brennan noticed rain clouds starting to move in. Arriving at the apartment building, Brennan soon found herself outside of Booth's apartment door.

Knocking several times, Brennan finally fished her key to his apartment out of her purse and used it to enter his apartment. Walking through the apartment, Brennan soon realized that the apartment was deserted. Worried and uncertain what to do about it, Brennan locked up his apartment and returned to the Jeffersonian.

Periodically, during the day, she attempted to call Booth's number only to be shunted to voicemail each time. By the end of day, Brennan was on the verge of panic. She felt foolish to be worried about Booth in such a way; but, the fact that she was, told her that somehow her need to see Booth and to know where he was had become important to her. Pacing her office, Brennan was attempting to think of what she could do to track Booth down when her phone rang. Reaching in her lab coat pocket, Brennan discovered that the caller was Booth.

"Booth, where are you? I'm been trying to reach you all day; but, I've been directed to voicemail every time I tried to call you and . . ."

Embarrassed, Booth interrupted Brennan, "I'm sorry Bones. I should have called you this morning; but, I just didn't. I . . . uh, I went for a drive and I guess I didn't pay attention to the time or where I was."

"I don't understand. You called in sick so you could go for a drive?"

"Yeah, I was feeling bad about Pops and I just wanted to be by myself. I didn't mean to ignore your calls, Bones. I just started driving and I never bothered to look at my phone until a minute ago. I'm really sorry if I upset you. I didn't mean to do that."

Relieved, Brennan asked, "Where are you?"

Staring out of the window of his motel room, Booth responded, "Somerset, Pennsylvania. Since I was over this way, I thought I'd go and have a look at where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville."

"Oh, I see."

Smiling, Booth continued, "I should have brought you with me. You should see all of the windmills around here. They're huge and you can see them from the road. They're kind of cool."

Smiling, Brennan responded, "They sound very interesting. How long are you going to be gone?"

Watching a squirrel run up a nearby tree, Booth smiled, "I'll come back Sunday afternoon."

Curious, Brennan asked, "What are you going to do until Sunday?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "Nothing."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_He was sitting under a sycamore tree in the backyard. Watching the backdoor, he waited. Soon, Pops came out of the house and walked towards him. The look on the face of his grandfather was grim. Preparing himself, he stood up and planted his feet in the grass._

_As he neared him, his grandfather slowed down and with great sadness, stopped and cleared his throat, "Seeley, son, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you."_

_Not reacting, he decided to wait and see if this was a trick. He was used to gentle words trying to lull him into a false sense of peace only to feel the back of a hand or the full impact of a fist moments later._

_Shaking his head, Pops slowly sat down on the ground and spread his hands out wide, "Seeley, I just want to talk to you and that's all. Your grandma said you got into a fight at school today. I want to know what it was about."_

_Trembling, he backed up against the tree and stared at his grandfather. Watching his grandfather bend his head and stare at the ground, he was surprised to hear him say, "Seeley, I love you son. I would just as soon lose my hands as use them to strike you. I promise you I am never going to hit you. I swear it before God."_

_Looking up, Pops shook his head, "I don't know what the fight was about; but, I can only guess. You and Jared and me are going shopping in a little while. We're going to buy new school clothes. I packed your things when I brought you over here; so, I know boy. I know that your Dad didn't spend money on you and your brother to make sure you wore good clothes. Some of those jeans of yours have so many holes in them they look like Swiss cheese. . . . Kids can be cruel, Shrimp. I know that. Go into the house, eat your dinner and afterwards were going to go shopping. I'm going to make sure that you and Jared have nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to clothes and stuff. I don't want to hear about any more fights after this."_

_Standing, Pops smiled, "I love you Seeley. Your grandma loves you too."_

_Turning, his grandfather walked slowly back across the yard. Watching Pops walk back into the house, he stopped trembling. Wiping the tears from his face, he realized that he'd been crying._

Opening his eyes, Booth stared at the motel ceiling.

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Reviews would really be appreciated thanks.

A/N: United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. This jet was the fourth jetliner hijacked on 9/11/2001. There is now a park there and a memorial is being built. I visited the site last September. As you are traveling up the main road towards Shanksville there are huge windmills on both sides of the road.

Windmills are wind turbines. We call them windmills where I come from.


	30. Chapter 30

(The Gamer in the Grease)

Thanks for the reviews. I love reviews.

I don't own Bones.

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_He was standing in front of a blue door. He reached his hand above him and felt in a crevice to the left of the door. Moving his hand downward he found the key he was looking for. Removing the key, he inserted the key in the lock, twisted the key and then slowly opened the door. Entering the house quietly, he looked back at his men and then stepped forward, his men following. Moving down a hallway he came upon a room with a man sitting below, eating. The room was lit with candles which made the lighting in the room rather macabre. He and his men spread out, their rifles all trained on the man below. Their prey must have heard their movement because the dark haired man stood up abruptly, swiveled where he stood and threw a knife towards them. His knife hit Agent Stoner, missing Stoner's vest and striking him in the upper arm. Coldly, he fired his rifle and saw the man flung by the impact of his shots as well as the shots of his men. The dark haired man landed on his back and his bizarre false teeth flew out of his mouth._

_Walking over towards the killer, he tapped his foot against the body and then knelt down next to him. Placing his fingers against the monster's neck, he detected no pulse and felt relief. "I'm glad you're dead you sorry son of a bitch."_

His phone ringing, Booth opened his eyes, rolled over and answered the phone, "Booth".

"Have I wakened you? I'm sorry. I will of course hang up and talk to you tomorrow."

Rubbing his eyes, Booth responded, "No, that's okay, Bones. I wasn't asleep yet. What do you need?"

"I was calling you to see if you would like to go jogging with me tomorrow morning. I know I should have called you sooner; but, I was working on a project and the time slipped by before I knew it."

Widening his eyes and then closing them, Booth tried to sound alert, "Yeah, that'd be great. Want me to meet you at the park?"

Smiling, Brennan replied, "Yes, that would be fine. I'll meet you there at 6 a.m."

"Sure that's fine." Ending his call, Booth chucked his phone on the night stand and rolled on to his stomach. Staring at the closet, Booth sighed.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Normally while running, Brennan used ear buds and listened to music. Since she was jogging with Booth, Brennan had left her Ipod at home.

As they jogged at a steady pace, Brennan watched her partner run and decided that she liked his form. Following slightly behind, she watched as he looked back and smiled, "Come on Bones. I'll race you to the coffee cart and this time no cheating."

Indignant, Brennan exclaimed, "I do not cheat. It is not my fault that the last time we raced that dog ran across your path and tripped you."

Laughing, Booth took off, running faster. Brennan, her competitive instincts taking over yelled, "Hey, you didn't say the race was starting now."

Calling back to her, Booth shouted, "The race always begins at the cherry tree next to the bench, Bones. You know that."

Speeding up, Brennan tried to catch her partner; but, he had too much of a lead and beat her to the coffee cart, "You cheated, Booth."

Laughing, Booth pulled a ten out of his pants pocket and replied, "I didn't cheat Bones. I don't have to."

Frowning, Brennan pulled money from her pants pocket and responded, "I am not paying for your coffee."

Waving his bill, Booth smiled, "Didn't ask you to Bones. I didn't race you for money."

Curious, Brennan asked, "Then why did you race me?"

Smiling, Booth handed his bill to the vendor and ordered his coffee. Once the order was in, Booth turned and looked at his partner, "I just wanted you to hurry up, I'm thirsty."

Rolling her eyes, Brennan placed her order for coffee after the vendor handed Booth his coffee.

Walking over to a bench, Brennan sat down and noticed her partner frowning at her.

After she sat down next to him, Booth pointed towards the park entrance, "Look who I see."

Her eyes following Booth's pointing finger, Brennan saw Daisy entering the park in running clothes and shoes. Noticing Booth and Brennan sitting on the bench, Daisy jogged over to where they sat.

"Oh Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth, I didn't know you jogged here."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth sipped his coffee.

Studying Daisy, Brennan asked, "Do you jog here often? I haven't seen you here before."

Smiling, Daisy answered, "I normally jog on the treadmill at the Y; but, Lance thought it would be nice to get some fresh air while we jog once in a while; so, I'm meeting him here in a few minutes. Maybe we can jog together."

Booth standing up, pointedly looked at his watch. "Hey look at the time. I have to go back. I need to shower, change my clothes and head to the Hoover. I have a meeting with Cullen this morning."

Disappointed, Daisy watched as Brennan stood up and followed Booth towards the entrance to the park.

Catching up with Booth, Brennan asked, "You don't want to jog with Daisy and Sweets do you?"

Frowning, Booth glanced at Brennan, "Hell no. You're picking up body language pretty good there Bones."

Shaking her head, Brennan smiled, "No, I just heard the panic in your voice."

Stopping and staring at Brennan, Booth responded, "Ha Ha, very funny."

Grinning, Brennan replied, "I can be very amusing."

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Not much going in this chapter, just a little B&B together time. Reviews are really appreciated. Thanks.


	31. Chapter 31

(The Goop on the Girl)

Thank you for reading my story. I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am writing it.

This is a little reminder that this story is AU.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Sitting in his office, Booth was looking over Owen Thiel's service record preparing to interview him when his phone rang, "Booth".

Watching Hodgins walk by her office, Brennan responded, "Booth, I'm going to meet Dad and my second cousin Margaret for lunch in a few minutes. Would you care to join us?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "No, I'm getting ready to interview Owen Thiel and I don't know how long I'm going to be."

Picking up her purse and jacket, Brennan grimaced, "Alright."

Noticing the tension in Brennan's voice, Booth responded, "Hey, Bones. It's going to be alright. You'll see. Just give Margaret a chance. I bet you'll hit it off fast."

Sighing, Brennan left her office, "I'm not as comfortable around strangers as you are Booth."

Nodding his head at Charlie who'd just walked into his office and pointed down the hall, Booth stood up, "Tell you what Bones. Meet me at the Founding Father's tonight. You can tell me all about your lunch with Margaret and your Dad."

Unsure if Booth was serious, Brennan asked, "Are you sure? I thought you were going to a basketball game tonight."

Smiling, Booth shifted his phone to his other ear, "Eh, I'd rather be with you Bones. I'll just catch the hightlights on TV tonight."

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Taking a sip of his drink, Booth leaned towards Brennan, "So how did your lunch go with Margaret and Max?"

Annoyed at the memory of her cousin, Brennan replied, "I really didn't like her. She is unapologetically dogmatic and constantly quotes Benjamin Franklin. That is very annoying."

Smiling, Booth remarked, "Relatives can be like that. Unfortunately you don't get to pick your relatives. If we did, Jared would be out the door."

Staring at her glass of wine, Brennan licked her bottom lip, "I know I invited you to come to Christmas dinner, Booth; but, I think I'm going to El Salvador instead. I don't wish to spend my holidays with Margaret."

Suddenly sad, Booth remarked, "Oh, ok."

Seeing Booth's smile disappear, Brennan responded, "I'm sorry, I know Parker is going to be in Canada with his mother. Maybe I can overlook Margaret's know it all attitude and have the dinner anyways."

Placing his hand on her clenched fist, Booth smiled again, "Don't worry about it Bones. If you want to go to El Salvador then you should. I'll find something to do Christmas Day."

Shaking her head, Brennan stared at Booth's hand clasping hers, "No, you're right we don't get to choose our relatives. I don't have very many; so, perhaps I should at least try to get along with Margaret. Besides if I go out of the country then Margaret may go home and Dad will be all alone on Christmas Day. He claims that being alone on Christmas Day would be pitiful."

Sighing, Booth replied, "It would be Bones. You need to stick around to make sure that Max isn't alone. You know he loves you and he's really trying to be a good Dad now."

Studying the hopeful look on Booth's face, Brennan smiled, "You're right. I'll stay here and have the dinner after all. Don't forget to come, Booth."

Grinning, Booth replied, "Oh, don't worry. I won't forget."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The dinner had been very nice and Booth had stayed long enough to help Brennan and Margaret clean up the kitchen and the dining room. After he'd made it home, he placed his Christmas presents that everyone had given him on the couch. Picking up the present Brennan had given him Booth sat down on the recliner and opened it. Tearing the colorful paper, Booth found a brown cardboard box. Opening the box, Booth lifted the lid and looked inside. Surprised, Booth pulled out a Flyers Team jacket. Whistling, Booth smiled, stood up and put it on. Nodding his head, Booth moved into the bedroom to look at himself in the mirror. Smiling with pride, Booth exclaimed, "Alright, way to go Bones."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

_Walking towards Angela's office, he saw that she was sitting on the couch talking to Brennan. Noticing the serious look on Brennan's face, he stopped outside of the doorway and listened._

_Brennan talking in very quiet manner, "Russ found our presents in my parents room and Christmas Eve when I was asleep, he snuck down and made Christmas trying to do the right thing for me."_

_Smiling, Angela responded, "Christmas for his little sister."_

_With tears in her eyes, Brennan continued, "But when I came down and saw the lights and the presents . . . "_

_Saddened, Angela finished Brennan's sentence, "You thought your parents were back."_

_Nodding her head, Brennan sighed, "I just expected to see them sitting there drinking their coffee, watching Russ and me open our presents._

_Realizing the pain Brennan felt, Angela exclaimed, "Oh my God."_

_Fighting back tears, Brennan explained, "I kinda lost it. I refused to open the presents until they came back. It was like I told Russ he wasn't enough family for me. Before New Years he. . ." Stopping to wipe away a tear, Brennan exhaled, "went out west to work and I was in the foster system."_

The sound of a car horn blared outside his bedroom window from the street below caused Booth to jerk awake. "Oh my God, poor Bones."

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Reviews are really appreciated, thanks.


	32. Chapter 32

(The Proof in the Pudding)

Thanks for dropping by and reading my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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Sitting in the Founding Fathers, Booth took a careful sip of scotch. Brennan approaching Booth's small table, frowned, "I thought you weren't supposed to be drinking alcohol at this time."

Placing his glass down, Booth replied, "Come on Bones, I've been a good boy for weeks. I want to drink something harder than a coke."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan ordered a club soda, "It's your body. Don't complain to me tomorrow when you have a bad dream and you lose sleep tonight."

Picking up his glass and sipping more of the amber liquid, Booth smiled, "I won't."

Curious, Brennan asked, "I hope you aren't still upset with Mr. White. I told you that the bones didn't belong to President Kennedy."

Sighing, Booth shook his head, "Nah, I'm not upset. I get it. I believe that Hodgins and Cam were right about us being tested. I don't know who was being tested; but, that whole thing felt like a test to me."

Frowning, Brennan asked, "Are you worried that you were the one being tested. Are you worried about your memory problem?"

Moving his half full glass of scotch away from him, Booth nodded his head, "Yeah, a little. Most of the time everything seems to be ok, I mean it doesn't seem to affect my job, at least I hope it doesn't. I just wonder about all the things I don't remember and don't know it. What if I don't remember the really important things? What if it's enough to keep me from moving up in the FBI any further?"

Surprised, Brennan asked, "Do you want to move further up the chain of command?"

Nodding his head, Booth responded, "Sure I would. I love the FBI. The higher up you are the more say you have as to how things are run. I want a say."

Picking up her glass of club soda, Brennan sipped it, "It's possible we were all being tested, not just any one individual."

Ordering a club soda, Booth turned back to Brennan, "Cam and Hodgins thought they might have been the object of the test."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan watched Booth move his glass of scotch towards the bartender and tell him to toss it, "I've thought about it and it's possible we were being tested to see how we function. Part of the test was to see how you would react when you found yourself separated from your team. The rest of the test was to see how we functioned without you and then with you."

Worried, Booth asked, "Do you think we passed?"

Smiling, Brennan patted Booth's hand, "I'm sure we passed."

Grinning, Booth sipped his newly arrived club soda, "Yeah? Good. So, want to go dancing with me tonight? Agent Howard told me about this retro bar he found. He said they play eighties Dance Music. We could go and dance and act silly."

Frowning, Brennan asked, "Like a date?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth responded, "Well, kind of like a date. I mean if we go I want to dance with you. I don't want you to dance with other guys; so, technically yes, a date. Is that Okay?"

Staring at Booth's puppy dog look, Brennan laughed, "Yes, it might relieve some of the tension I feel right now. When you say we will act silly, what do you mean?"

Laughing, Booth responded, "Oh you know, we'll dance eighties style dances and pretend we own the place."

Smiling, Brennan moved her glass away from her and picked up her purse, "Alright. I must warn you I am a very good dancer. You had better be very good too."

Happy, Booth stood up and placed money on the table, "I'll try to keep up Bones."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

_Staring through the scope, he spotted his target. The man had been hard to find and it had taken him three days to find him. His spotter was acting a little anxious and he was finding it annoying. Leaning towards his partner, he whispered, "If I have to tell you to keep you head down one more time, I'm going to knock it off your shoulders. I've lost a partner before because he couldn't keep his noggin where it was supposed to be and I'm not going to let that happen again. Got it?"_

_The private, clearly afraid of him, nodded his head and became still. Glaring at the private, he turned back to his scope. Watching his prey move closer, he waited. Finally getting the best angle he thought he'd get, he fired. Confirming the man was hit, he slowly backed up, pulling the private with him. Once they were away from the ridge and well below it, he crouched down and started jogging towards his pick up point._

_The private, excited his first mission had gone so well, laughed quietly, "Ha that was quite a shot. You killed that guy like it was nothing."_

_Not responding, he straightened up and kept jogging. The private, a little winded, followed him as closely as he could, saving his breath for their escape. Arriving at their pickup point, the private turned and slapped him on the back, "Wow, that guy didn't have a chance. It was like shooting pool."_

_Angry, he slapped the private's arm away, "Don't you ever say something like that to me again." Feeling his fury rising, he grabbed the private's shirt front, "Don't you ever compare taking a man's life to a game. Never again, you got me?"_

_Afraid, the private nodded his vigorously, "Yes, I got it. I'm sorry."_

_Disgusted, he released his partner's shirt. Walking a few paces from the younger man, he sat down and rocked back and forth a little, waiting for the helicopter to arrive._

His phone ringing, Booth rolled over and grabbed the phone from his nightstand. "Booth."

A male voice on the other end, "A body has been found at Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland. It's in really bad shape and the Frederick County Sheriff is asking for help."

Sighing, Booth rubbed his face, "Got it, call Dr. Brennan and tell her I'll be by to pick her up in twenty minutes."

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Reviews would be great. Let me know what you think of my story. Thanks.


	33. Chapter 33

(The Dentist in the Ditch)

Thanks for all the reviews, favors and follows. I'm always thrilled to see them. I'd like to take the time to remind you that this is not a short story and it is AU.

I don't own Bones.

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After Jared and Padme left the bar, Booth ordered a coke for himself and Brennan. "You know the other day when Jared showed up, I forgot that he wasn't in the Navy anymore. It took me a minute to remember why he was out. I remembered that whole kidnapping thing and I know Jared helped me; but, it was like I had to really dig deep to remember that Jared was given a dishonorable discharge. It . . . never mind; so, when Jared gets married do you want to go with me to the wedding and then the reception? I'm going to need a date; so, maybe if you have the time, would you come with me?"

Frowning, Brennan replied, "You have time, don't you want to look for someone to take that would be a real date?"

Shaking his head, Booth responded, "You know I'm not dating right now. My health issues, my holey memory, I'd rather not get anyone else involved in that. Come on, it'll be like the other day when we went dancing. We'll have fun. We can dance at the reception and watch everyone get drunk and make fun of them while we stay sober. . . I know, you can do some anthropological paper on modern weddings and how people get wasted at the parties afterward; but, you know you could squinty the name of the paper. You'll have fun, I guarantee it. . . . I'll even help you take notes about the dumb ass things people say and do at weddings."

A twinkle in her eye, Brennan smiled, "It might make an interesting paper. If you help me, I could even mention you in my footnotes."

Frowning, Booth replied, "If I'm helping you shouldn't I get a bi-line?"

Guffawing, Brennan placed her hand over her mouth.

Pursing his lips, Booth suddenly laughed, "Just kidding. A footnote would be pretty cool. You want to do it?'

Nodding her head, Brennan smiled, "Yes, I would. Just let me know when the wedding is and I will be there."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "Oh, no. I'll pick you up. You can brief me then on how you want to do the study. . . . I think we should dance at the reception though. We don't want to make the thing just about your paper. We should have fun too."

Sipping her coke, Brennan watched Booth as he explained what they could do during the reception. She loved the fact that he seemed happy for the moment and she realized that she hadn't really seen him this happy in a long time.

Reaching out her hand, Brennan smiled, "Yes, I think dancing would be a good idea. You are a very good dancer."

Grinning, Booth picked up his coke and drank some. Watching Brennan over the rim of the glass, Booth was pleased to see that she was enjoying herself. Thinking about his plan, Booth became happier. "Two dates. Good start."

Lowering his glass, Booth remarked, "Hey, before I forget, I have Parker this weekend. You want to hang out with us this weekend?"

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "I hang out with you every time you have Parker, Booth. Don't you want to visit with Parker by yourself?"

Sadness suddenly descending upon him, Booth replied, "I still worry that I'm going to freak him out. I mean for weeks I couldn't get over how much he'd aged and I'll admit I was really upset about it. Then . . . then I got a lot of my memory back and it wasn't too bad; but, sometimes he'll start talking about something we did and I don't remember it. I feel like a complete ass when that happens. He's my son, I should remember everything about his childhood and I don't. . . . I just feel like when you're there with us even if I don't remember it's ok because you probably do and you can help me out. . . . You know, that's ok, you don't have to go with us. I know you're busy and it's ok."

Shaking her head slowly, Brennan placed her hand on his, "No, of course I want to be with you and Parker. I just didn't want you to think you have to invite me."

Smiling a little a tentatively, Booth replied, "No, I know I don't have to invite you, Bones. I want to invite you. Just don't think you have to come because you don't. I don't want to ever force you to do anything you don't want to do, ever."

Patting his hand, Brennan smiled, "I'll be happy to see Parker. I'll come over Saturday around 11 is that ok?"

Smiling, Booth answered, "Sure, 11 is fine."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

_He was helping her bake cookies. He loved to help her to do that. She'd make the cookie dough and then she'd let him pour in the chocolate chips and help spoon it out onto the cookie sheet. If some of the dough accidentally ended up on his fingers and in his mouth she never said anything. The smell of baking cookies would fill the air and he'd feel so safe. She always tried to make him feel safe._

_Hearing the door slam shut, he jumped down from the chair, deserting his warm cookie and glass of milk. His father stalking into the kitchen, angry that she was wasting time cooking cookies and not his dinner, angry that she wasted money on junk. Furious, his father grabs her and afraid for his mother he tries to pull her free from his father's grasp; but, his father is strong and he slaps him, slaps him hard and tells him to leave the room. His mother tries to place him behind her; but, his father lunges for him and shakes him, tells him he's a waste of money, a waste of air. His father shakes him and slaps him and then throws him on the ground then starts to slap her. She's crying; but, he can't help her. She's crying and he's helpless to stop it._

Feeling a small hand shaking his shoulder, he throws himself away from the hand, crying out in fear. Opening his eyes, he realized that he is staring at a very frightened, young boy, his son.

"Parker, what's wrong?"

Tears starting to fall down his face, Parker replied, "You were yelling, Dad. I just wanted to help you. You were having a bad dream. I didn't mean to scare you."

Shaking his head, Booth moved over to the side of the bed and sat up. Kneeling down next to his son, Booth wrapped his arms around him, "Buddy, I'm sorry. I was just having a nightmare, that's all. You didn't do anything wrong. . . It's ok, I'm sorry I scared you."

Hugging his father, Parker replied, "You sounded so scared. I didn't want you to be scared, Dad."

Placing his cheek on top of his son's head, Booth replied, "Thanks Parker. Thank you. I love you."

His tears still trickling down his face, Parker tried to smile, "I love you too Dad."

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Reviews would be great thanks.

Peyton, I couldn't answer you in the PM so I'm doing it here. Booth's Diary is not abandoned. I need to get this story further away from the time line Booth's Diary is in. It's too confusing to work on two different stories in the same time period. I think once this story moves out of season 5, I'll go back and start working on Booth's Diary. Thanks for your interest in that story. It isn't a popular story. It gets very few reviews.


	34. Chapter 34

(The Devil in the Detail)

Thank you for reading my story and reviews are always appreciated.

I don't own Bones.

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Sitting in the church next to his grandfather, Booth sat quietly waiting for confession. His hands clasped before him mouth, Booth quietly prayed for patience. After he finished praying he thought about the last few months. His memory was still spotty and even though Gordon Wyatt kept counseling him to be patient he felt that he was losing that battle. He wanted his life to return to the way it was before, before the brain tumor, before the memory loss and the confusion. He just wanted to be normal again. Visiting the sanitarium had been a little disturbing. All of those people in pain and the only thing that could be done for them was to lock them up and drug them. He worried that but for the grace of God he'd be there now. "What if my memory hadn't come back? What if I'd awakened with all of my memories gone? What if I hadn't had Bones and Pops helping me? I could be locked up right now."

Hank watching his grandson's face tighten and fill with dread leaned towards him, "Seeley are you alright?"

Forcing himself to lower his clasped hands, Booth tried to smile, "Yeah, sure."

Shaking his head, Hank remarked, "Seeley, you worry too much. You always have. I know you worry about those memory gaps of yours; but, really think about it, it's not as bad as you think it is. You remember the important stuff. You can do your job. You have a lot of friends that support you. You're in good shape. You need to stop worrying about what you can't remember. Hell, I'd pay a lot of money to forget some of the stuff I've seen in my life. You're only missing stuff from the last three and a half years. That's not a long time in the scheme of things, son. You need to let it go. You'll either remember or you won't; but, driving yourself crazy about it isn't helping you."

Frowning, Booth looked down at his knees, "I can't help it. I want all of my life back not just part of it."

Placing his hand on Booth's arm, Hank responded, "You do have your life back. That tumor was removed and you're doing pretty good. Sure some of your memories are gone and they may never come back; but, you have to look at the big picture. You're alive, fairly healthy, you have a job you love, Temperance still wants you for a partner and I know that's important to you. You have people that love you; so, really, what are a few memories? Just let it go."

Sighing, Booth leaned back in the pew and stared straight ahead, "I'll try, Pops."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Bored, Booth looked around his apartment and realized he didn't want to be alone. He'd visited his grandfather until after dinner and after arriving home, he'd found that he couldn't find anything interesting enough to hold his attention. The game was on and he couldn't sit still long enough to watch it. Picking up his keys, Booth shook his head, "You got it bad boy."

Leaving his apartment, Booth noticed that it looked like it was going to rain after all. It had been threatening to rain all day; but, so far he'd only seen gray clouds to go with his gray mood.

Arriving at Brennan's apartment with Chinese takeout, Booth smiled at the security guard sitting behind the counter and continued to the elevator. Punching the up button, Booth smiled and waved a little wave at the security guard who waved back.

Arriving on the third floor, Booth exited the elevator in time to see the door to Brennan's apartment open and Thaddeus Smith exit the apartment. Stopping, Booth frowned as he saw Smith walking towards him.

Smith, aware he wasn't alone in the hallway, looked up and smiled, "Hi." Walking past, Smith pulled out his key, unlocked the door and opened his apartment door. Glacing back at Booth, he smiled again and entered his rooms. Booth, his face a picture of distress, watched the door close behind Smith.

Disturbed, Booth stared at Brennan's door for a few minutes and then punched the down button for the elevator. After the doors reopened and he entered the car, Booth punched the down button and rode the car to the lobby. Arriving in the lobby, Booth walked over to the security desk and placed his Chinese takeout on the counter.

"Hey, I just remembered I have to be somewhere, do you like Chinese takeout?"

Smiling, Bill replied, "Sure do."

Nodding his head Booth left the bags on the counter and walked away, "Hope you enjoy it."

Walking out of the building, Booth placed his hands into his jacket pockets and stared at his truck. After a few minutes, Booth walked over to his SUV entered it and after making sure that the street was cleared, pulled out and drove.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan, discovering she was out of coffee, left her apartment and rode the elevator down to the lobby. Intending to walk down to the corner market, Brennan exited the elevator and turned towards the main entrance to her apartment building.

Bill, enjoying his free dinner, looked up and greeted Brennan, "Hey, Doctor Brennan. The next time you see Agent Booth, please tell him thanks for the Chinese takeout. That was really nice of him to leave that for me."

Puzzled, Brennan stopped and walked back towards the desk, "Booth was here?"

Nodding his head, Bill replied, "Sure, about fifteen minutes ago. He went up and came back down almost immediately. He said he had something he had to do and left me the Chinese takeout."

Unsure what was going on, Brennan pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket and called Booth's number. Getting his voice mail, she slipped her phone back into her jacket pocket.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Driving aimlessly, Booth drove until he found himself at the Lincoln Memorial. Finding a parking place, Booth soon found himself sitting on the steps of the memorial. Staring out at the Reflecting Pool, Booth thought about what he wanted and why. After sitting on the steps for a few minutes, the sky opened up and it started to rain. Disgusted, Booth stood up and walked back towards his truck. Reaching the SUV, Booth found that he was soaking wet and shivering. Turning the heat up to full blast, he started up his truck and drove back home.

Oooooooooooooooooooo o o

_He was digging with his hands. He was raking his hands through pea gravel and dirt searching for her. He had to find her, he knew he only had moments and he had to find her. His heart racing, he was on the verge of panic when he found her hand. Raking the small stones and dirt away from her hand and then her arm, he dug faster, pulling her towards him. Finally freeing her from the earth he pulled her away from her underground prison and panted. Standing quickly, he moved back to the pit and helped free Hodgins. Once Hodgin was lying on the ground before them, he moved back to where she was sitting. Thankful, his adrenalin no longer pumping, he looked at her and smiled. _

His heart racing, Booth sat up. Placing his hand over his heart, he felt his heart pounding in his chest. Taking deep breathes Booth tried the relaxation techniques Gordon had showed him. Finally feeling his heart rate slowing, he turned his head and stared at his phone. Picking it up, he noticed the clock displayed 2:23. Shaking his head, he lay back down with the phone in his hand.

"She's mine. I'm not going to give up on that. She's mine and I'll fight for her if I have to."

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So what do you think of my story so far? Reviews would be great thanks.

Guest (no name): I'm sorry that you are unhappy at the pace of this story but for this story to make sense it must unfold slowly. We all saw what happened in episode 100. This is not a short story, it can't be. I have to write this story in a way that will make sense. If it doesn't make sense then it isn't worth writing and it isn't worth reading. There will be at least 9 or 10 more chapters written before we get to the moment we want. I have to tell the story my way.

A/N: It's been mentioned a few times in reviews; so, I thought I would mention that because of Booth's faulty memory, he doesn't remember the line he drew and there's no advantage for Brennan to mention it. As far as Booth is concerned, there is no line, there is just a very cautious Booth trying to court Brennan.


	35. Chapter 35

(The Bones on the Blue Line)

Thanks for your interest in my story. I appreciate your support.

I don't own Bones.

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Sitting in Brennan's office, Booth was reading Brennan's copy of her latest book, while she was in a meeting with Cam. He'd planned to go to lunch with her; but, if the meeting she was in lasted too much longer he'd have to skip lunch and go back to work. Booth had started reading her latest book at home and when he'd found the copy on Brennan's desk, he thought he'd continue to read it. He'd been steadily reading until he got to page 187. Reading the passage printed on that page, Booth felt his skin turn hot and his stomach start to flip. Closing the book, Booth stood up and carefully placed it on Brennan's desk, leaving the office. Walking towards the entrance, Booth met Hodgins as he entered the Lab.

Smiling, Hodgins held up Brennan's new book. "Hot off the presses. I'm going to try to read some of it today."

Blushing, Booth replied, "Yeah, whatever." Striding past the sliding glass doors, Booth glanced back at Hodgins as he exited the Lab and shook his head.

Sighing, Booth's thoughts turned back to the page he'd read, "Ok, it's just a story, a really good story with a really interesting sex scene. Wow, ok, maybe interesting wouldn't be the word I'd use. Still, wow. I wonder how she even . . . never mind, I don't want to know."

Hodgins observing the flushed look on Booth's face as he left the Lab, wondered, "Wow, I wonder what's wrong with him"

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Sitting in Brennan's apartment, Booth knew the hour was getting late; but, he didn't want to go home. He and his lovely partner had been talking about their case and had moved from that topic to the subject of soul mates. Booth had pretended to not know what soul mates were so that Brennan would explain the concept to him. He loved it when she was in teacher mode. He'd learned that if he had run out of things to say or was too lazy to keep a conversation going all he had to do was to pretend that he didn't understand something and Brennan would lecture him on the topic. That allowed her to carry the conversation and he could just listen without having to think too much. He knew he came across as dumb as a rock sometimes; but, he didn't care. Brennan loved being the know it all, the smart one and Booth didn't care if Brennan considered him to be average. He considered himself to be average and had no wish to be a squint or an egghead.

Booth was comfortable and as much as he hated the thought, he needed to get up and go home. Turning to Brennan, Booth asked, "So, how did your interview with Riku go? I bet she was really wowed."

Frowning, Brennan replied, "She was more interested in the sex in the book than the science."

Chuckling, Booth shrugged his shoulders, "Some people become attached to characters in books or movies or television programs. They see pieces of themselves in the characters or they admire the characters and see a hero to emulate. It's human nature. The sex in the book gives them something to dream about. It doesn't make the science part of the book any less important. Without the science your book would just be a romance novel. Your books are a hell of a lot more than that. They're action and drama and mystery and yeah romance. You're books are best sellers for a reason Bones. Don't worry when people just want to talk about characters or the emotional part of their life. You and I both know it's the mystery that draws them in. Everyone loves a good murder mystery."

Watching the sleepy eyed Booth, Brennan clasped her hands together, "I gave Angela 25 percent of the royalties on my latest book. I thought over our conversation and I realized that she does help me with my books. I calculated that she is probably responsible for 25 percent of my book and therefore she should receive 25 percent of the royalties."

Surprised, Booth smiled, "Wow, Bones. That is so nice of you to do that. I'll bet she was surprised."

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "Yes, she was. It was the right thing to do."

Yawning, Booth wearily stood up, "I'm bushed. I need to go home. Oh, hey, how's that new neighbor of yours. Have you met him yet?"

Smiling, Brennan replied, "Yes, I've talked to him several times. He's seen you several times in the hallway and he asked me a few days ago if you're dating at this time. I didn't see any harm in telling him that you aren't."

Puzzled, Booth mulled that over, "I wonder why he wanted to know that? Maybe he wanted to see if we're dating or not. Maybe he wants to see if you're available."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "Apparently he isn't interested in me. He's interested in you."

Surprised, Booth laughed, "Me?"

Nodding her head, Brennan responded, "He broke up with his boyfriend two weeks ago. I did let him know that you wouldn't be interested in dating him; but, he said he might ask you to go out with him anyway."

Booth shook his head, "Uh, okay, uh." Yawning, Booth shook his head, "I need to go home, I'm really sleepy."

Frowning, Brennan remarked, "I think you're too tired to drive Booth. Why don't you stay in my guest bedroom tonight? Tomorrow is Saturday and you can go back home after you've rested. I don't want you to get into a wreck on the way home because you're so sleepy."

Biting his lower lip, Booth then yawned again, "Okay. That'd be great. Thanks."

ooooooooooooooooooo

_They were standing in an alcove. It appreared to be raining just a few feet from them; but, he only had eyes for her._

_"I just. . . I feel like I'm going to kiss you."_

_Suddenly she closed the space between them, leaning towards him. Kissing her, he felt electricity running through his body. He'd thought they might have a connection; but, that kiss was like magic. If made him feel weak and wanting more and more. Suddenly the horn from a taxi waiting in front of them sounded and she broke the kiss. _

_Watching her run towards the cab, he staggers a little and exclaims, "Wow"._

_Turning she tells him, "We are not spending the night together."_

_Not certain why he's being rejected he responds, "Of course we are. Why?"_

_Smiling, she replies, "Tequila."_

_Watching her jump into the cab, he's momentarily stunned. Realizing that the cab is pulling away from him, he shakes himself and runs after the cab. Knocking on the window, the cab stops and she rolls down the window. Curious and disappointed, he asks, "So, you're afraid when I look at you in the morning, I'll have regrets?"_

_Shaking her head, she replies, "That would never happen."_

_Hearing her laugh, he watches the taxi pull away, leaving him standing in the rain. The disappointment he feels consumes him and with a last glance at the pool hall behind him, he puts his hands in his pockets and walks towards his truck."_

Hearing his phone ring, he sat up and looked around. Puzzled about the strange furniture surrounding him, he leaned over and grabed his phone from the night stand. Anserwing it, he cleared his throat, "Booth."

Hank, irritated spoke, "Where the hell are you? You're supposed to take me to see Jared and Padme today."

Feeling a little sleepy, Booth responded, "Sorry, Pops, I over slept. Let me get going and I'll be there in a little bit."

Grouchy, Hank replied, "Alright."

Ending his call, Booth slowly got out of bed. His feet hurting, he hobbled around looking for his clothes and shoes. Finding them on the chair near the closet, he put them on and left the room. Noticing Brennan's bedroom door closed, Booth quietly walked over to the apartment door, opened it and let himself out, locking and closing the door behind him.

Taking the elevator down to the lobby, Booth mulled over his dream. "That had to be a dream. I've never kissed her like that. No way. Rotten memory or not, I'd remember a kiss like that."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 

Let me know what you think of my story. Thanks.

A/N: Booth thought his memory loss started after the Arrington Case. He's wrong. Thursday will be the dreaded episode 100. I hope you check in and see what I did with that.


	36. Chapter 36

(The Parts in the Sum of the Whole)

Ok, just a gentle reminder that this story is AU.

I don't own Bones.

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Standing outside of the Hoover, Booth talked to Brennan just outside of the main entrance, "Bones, I read the book; but, I can't tell if any of the stuff he wrote is wrong or not. I mean my memory is better than it was weeks ago; but, it's still holey. What do you think is wrong with the book? The part where he says we love each other?"

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "He thinks Cleo Eller was our first case. Our first case was Gemma Arrington."

Getting a faraway look in his eyes, Booth slowly nodded, "Yeah, that's true. Gemma was our first case. Didn't we tell Sweets that before he started this book? I mean, didn't he talk to us before he wrote the damn thing?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "I suppose he just checked our case files. He must have missed the first one because it would be listed under your name not under our partnership."

Puzzled, Booth responded, "Do you think that would make a difference in how he wrote this book of his?"

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "Probably. He's based his theory about our working relationship on our first case. Cleo Eller wasn't our first case therefore it's possible that his interpretation is false."

Staring at Brennan, Booth folded his arms across his chest, "He thinks we're in love. If Cleo Eller isn't our first case then do you think he might change his mind?"

Nodding her head, Brennan started walking towards the entrance to the Hoover, "Yes. We should let him know. Clearly he wouldn't wish to publish if his theory is based upon false data."

Shrugging his shoulders, "I'll go with you to talk to him; but, I'll let you do the talking. I don't remember everything about the first case. I remember the case; but, I don't remember everything we did to solve it. I thought my memory problem started with everything after the Gemma Arrington case; but, that's not true since I can't remember everything about our first case either. I checked the file on that case while I was reading Sweets book and I realized that . . ." Sighing, Booth muttered, "I knew this shit would bite me on the ass sooner or later."

Walking back to where Booth was standing, she placed her hand on his arm and used a soothing tone, "Booth, the things you remember are enough. If you can't remember everything about the case it doesn't matter. The case was solved, the murderer was caught. Those are the important things."

Smiling weakly, Booth dropped his arms to his sides, "Sure, I guess you're right. Come on let's go break the news to the kid. Don't expect him to be grateful though because he won't be."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Listening to Brennan explaining their first case to Sweets, Booth leaned back on the couch and ran his poker chip between his fingers. Most of the things Brennan spoke of were things that he remembered; but, peppered through her explanation were things he clearly didn't remember. When she started talking about the both of them standing outside of the pool hall and kissing; it wasn't just Sweets who was flustered.

Remembering his dream the night he slept in Brennan's guest bedroom, Booth realized that the dream he had that night had been a memory dream not just a hot dream about his lovely partner. Turning his gaze upon Brennan, he heard her tell Sweets word for word what had happened in his dream. Feeling his face flush, Booth turned his gaze towards the window and listened to Sweets and Brennan argue about the significance of that kiss.

He knew what he felt during the dream and decided that Brennan may not have put a lot of store in that kiss but he did. He didn't know how he'd managed to screw up that part of their relationship; but, Booth decided that it didn't matter now. He had his plan and it was working fine. He didn't care what Sweets wrote or didn't write in his book. He was going to keep to his plan. He loved Brennan and he was going to find a way to get her to see him as something more than a partner and a friend.

Listening carefully to their story unfold, Booth became uncomfortable listening to her explain about his arrogant attitude towards her and finally the big argument they had that severed their partnership for almost a year. Frustrated with himself, Booth glared at his hands and waited for the story to finish.

Shocked Booth heard how during an argument with Brennan he'd grabbed her and she's slapped him in retaliation. Mortified, Booth stared at Brennan. He'd remembered the slap but not grabbing her. "Bones, I'm sorry I grabbed you. I know you don't like to be touched like that."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan sadly replied, "I shouldn't have slapped you and called you a bully. I should have controlled my emotions better than that."

Embarrassed, Booth shook his head, "Wow, what a mess I made of that."

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "No, Booth. We both lost our tempers and we both said things that we shouldn't have. We were both responsible for our separation."

Sweets, angry and confused, glanced between the partners, "Ok, You are totally messed up. I always said that you could never kiss because if you did then the dam would break and now it turns out that you kissed. Did the dam break?"

Uncertain about Sweets question, Brennan asked, "What does that mean?"

Not knowing the answer himself, Booth replied, "He thinks we slept together."

Shaking her head, Brennan responded, "We're not in love with each other. It took us a year after we kissed to be in the same room together."

Having to rely upon Brennan's memory, Booth nodded his head, "Uh, yeah sure. We didn't kiss after that, right?"

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "Yes that's right. We are friends though. We love each other as friends."

Feeling sad, Booth turned to Sweets, "See, no more kissing."

Shaking his head, Sweets asked, "If you're not in love then how come you haven't been in any serious relationship since you first met?"

Brennan replied, "I don't really do that."

Trying to defuse the situation, Booth replied, "It's the job, Sweets. Who has time for romance? I barely have a life because I'm so busy."

Upset, Sweets announced, "One of you has to have the courage to break this stalemate."

Pointing to Booth, Sweets pleaded, "It's gotta to be you because you're the gambler. For once, make that work for you."

Shaking his head, Booth responded, "I don't gamble any more, Sweets. You know that."

Turning to Brennan, Booth asked, "You ready to go? We can go eat if you're hungry."

Smiling Brennan replied, "I could eat."

Standing, Booth took the manuscript from Brennan and handed to Sweets. Placing his hand on the small of her back, they left.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Walking out of the main entrance, Booth put his hands in his pockets and glanced at Brennan. "So, want to go the Diner or the Founding Fathers?"

Staring at Booth, Brennan hesitated.

Noticing the look of uncertainty on Brennan's face, Booth removed one hand from his pocket and placed an arm around Brennan's shoulders, "Listen Bones. Don't worry about what Sweets said. He's a kid and he doesn't have a clue how the real world works. You and me are best friends and we love each other in our way. Okay? Don't worry about Sweets and his ideas about us. He thinks he knows us and he doesn't. I'm not about to let some kid ruin my friendship with you just because he thinks he knows what's best for us. You're the best friend I've ever had. I love you and you know that. I'm not going to do anything stupid; so, don't worry about it. Okay?"

Nodding her head, Brennan smiled, "Yes, he is young."

Smiling, Booth replied, "I've told you that before. He's twelve and I don't take advice from twelve year olds. You and me are good? Right?"

Returning his smile, Brennan replied, "Yes, we're good."

Laughing, Booth pulled Brennan closer to him, "Alright, that's my girl. Let's go eat. I'm starving."

Chuckling, Brennan responded, "You're always hungry."

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So, how did you like that change in the grand scheme of things? Booth has his plan and he isn't about to let Sweets screw with it. Let me know what you think about my story. Thanks.


	37. Chapter 37

(The Death of the Queen Bee)

Thank you for the great reviews, favorites and follows.

I definitely don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The school reunion had started and Booth and Brennan were dancing. He watched as Brennan danced the Electric Slide. He couldn't for the life of him tell her that she was a bad dancer especially when she didn't know it. So far he'd gone on a couple of dates with her although she was unaware he considered them dates and they'd had fun. He loved dancing with her because she was very enthusiastic. When they danced to slow music he'd held her close and hoped some day that it would be more. Now at her high school reunion, pretending to be her husband, he found himself dancing with her again.

The music had changed and "A Kiss from a Rose" had started to play. Brennan moving towards him wrapped her hands around his neck and started to dance. Booth feeling the heat from her body next to his, swallowed and placed his hands on her waist. Placing her head on his shoulder, Brennan remarked, "Thank you for dancing with me Booth."

Feeling happy, Booth placed his arms around her and held her closely as they danced, "What are you kidding? I love dancing with you."

Smiling, Brennan continued to dance.

Booth spying Mr. Buxley near a rope holding a big knife, glanced at him suspiciously.

Buxley, staring at the dancers moving around the floor, pulled on a rope and cut it causing silver metal stars to fall and dangle above everyone's head who were on the dance floor. Smiling, Booth remarked, "That is so cool." Turning his gaze back to Brennan, Booth frowned, "Why are you crying Bones?

A little embarrassed, Brennan explained, "This is the prom I never got to go to."

Angry for the teenager that had so few friends, Booth responded, "I'm sorry you had a rough time in high school, Bones."

Shaking her head, Brennan continued to dance.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sitting in the Founding Father's Booth and Brennan watched the last of their friends leave. Turning to Booth, Brennan asked, "So when is your high school reunion?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "My 25th is coming up in three years. I don't plan to go though. I never go to those things."

Curious, Brennan asked, "Why not? Since you were probably popular in school, I would think you'd like to go back to see all of your friends."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "I've never had time to go back, plus, I'm not that kid anymore."

Frowning, Brennan remarked, "I think you should go to your reunion. Even though we were undercover during mine, I had fun. I got to see Mr. Buxley and even though my classmates still don't like me, I found it interesting to see them again."

Worried, Booth responded, "You know what Bones. Your classmates were jerks. I didn't like them at all. I mean here you are a famous author and tops in your field and all they wanted to do was go on about was how you were when you were a kid. They didn't want to recognize that you'd moved on and outstripped them all. You're very successful and highly respected in your field. Those bozos were just jealous."

Smiling, Brennan placed her hand on his arm, "Thank you Booth; but, don't worry about it. I'm not. I have a good life, I have my friends, I have you in my life. Really, I'm not worried what my former classmates think of me."

Smiling in return, Booth patted Brennan's hand, "Good for you. Forget them."

Moving her hand back to her glass of club soda, Brennan asked, "If I agreed to go with you to your reunion, would you consider going to it? I'd like to see where you went to high school."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "I'll think about it."

Cocking her head to the side, Brennan advised, "I won't forget you know. I'll remind you in the future."

Sipping his Sprite, Booth sighed, "Yeah, I know."

Glancing at his watch, Booth asked, "Hey, it's still early. Want to go to a movie?"

Glancing at her own watch, Brennan smiled, "Alright, it is still early."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_Sitting under the sycamore tree in the back yard, he stared at the ground and pulled up blades of grass, tossing them away from him. Hearing the back door open, he looked up to see his grandfather walking towards him. Lowering his eyes, he continued to pull blades of grass._

_Hank, stopping a few feet from his grandson, remarked, "What's wrong Seeley? Your grandmother says you came home upset."_

_Embarrassed, he clasped his hands together and stared at them, "It's nothing, Pops."_

_Shaking his head, Hank responded, "I don't think so. What's wrong, son? You can tell me."_

_Sighing, he answered, "Harlan Kinney kind of called me a name today. I didn't know what it meant; but, he just walked right up to where me and buddies were talking and he called me a Philistine. I told him I was a catholic; but for some reason he thought that was funny. One of my buddies picked up Kinney and dangled him over the stairway."_

_Staring at his grandson, Hank asked, "What did you do?"_

_Placing his head in his hands, he answered, "I didn't do anything. Kinney was crying and begging to be let down and I just laughed." Looking up at the man he considered his father, he asked, "Why did I do that? Kinney could have been killed and I just laughed. Something's wrong with me Pops. What if I'm like my father? What if I . . ."_

_Shaking his head, Hank knelt with difficulty on the ground next to his grandson. Placing his right hand on the boy's shoulder, "You're sorry that happened to that boy and you're embarrassed."_

_Nodding his head he swallowed."What if I'm mean like my Dad. That was a mean thing to do and I don't want to be like my Dad Pops. I don't want to be that guy."_

_Shaking his grandson's shoulder, Hank replied, "Seeley, you made a mistake. You were with your friends and you just did the easy thing. It's not easy going against your friends. I know that and believe me that doesn't make you mean. It makes you unthinking and you're young. If something like that were to happen again would you just stand there and laugh?"_

_Shaking his head, he looked up, "No, I wouldn't. I can't do that again. I don't want to be like that."_

_Smiling, Hank replied,"Then don't be. You know the difference between right and wrong."_

_Nodding his head, he sighed, "Do you know where the dictionary is? I tried to find it when I came home; but, I couldn't find it."_

_Standing, Hank asked, "What do you need it for?"_

_Standing, he shrugged his shoulders, "I want to know what a Philistine is."_

Opening his eyes, Booth shook his head, "What a dumbass."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Reviews would be really nice. Thanks.


	38. Chapter 38

(Before Predator in the Pool)

Thank you for the wonderful reviews.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Arriving at Brennan's apartment, Booth knocked impatiently on the door. When the door opened Booth found himself a little breathless. "Bones, you look beautiful."

Smiling, Brennan replied, "You've seen me in this dress before."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "Well, I hope I told you that you looked beautiful if I did."

Picking up her purse from the table near the door, Brennan exited her apartment, closing the door behind her.

Walking towards the elevator, Booth noticed Brennan's neighbor walk out of his apartment. Thaddeus, noticing Booth, strode over to the elevator and punched the down button. "Are you going down?"

The elevator doors opening, Booth placed his arm around Brennan's waist, "Yeah, thanks." Getting on the elevator with Brennan, Booth leaned over and kissed Brennan on the cheek. Thaddeus, staring at Booth, got on the elevator after Booth and Brennan did and punched the lobby button.

Brennan surprised at the kiss, glanced at Booth and then at Thaddeus. Seeing the look of disappointment on her neighbor's face, Brennan realized what Booth was doing.

Arriving in the lobby, Thaddeus smiled, "See you around Agent Booth." Walking rapidly across the lobby, Thaddeus exited the entrance throwing a glance back at Booth.

Brennan watching her neighbor leave turned to Booth, "He's very nice."

Nodding his head, Booth replied, "So am I."

Smiling, Brennan responded, "Yes you are. I'm looking forward to this wedding Booth. I loved your idea of doing a study."

Stopping their progress across the lobby, Booth smiled, "Bones, I want you to have a good time too. We're on a date. You're supposed to have fun on a date."

Nodding her head, Brennan stared at her partner, "Yes, I know. I plan to do my study and dance with you."

Giving her his charm smile, Booth replied, "I want to dance all of the dances with you, Bones. I don't want you to dance with anyone else."

Responding to his charm smile, Brennan placed her hand on his arm, "Of course."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The wedding had been small but nice. The reception was being held at Padme's brother's house and the back yard had been turned into a very nice reception area complete with a wooden dance floor. Brennan had spent a few minutes making notes about the behavior exhibited by the wedding goers with Booth adding his own observations. Once she'd caught up with her notes, she placed her notebook and pen down. Booth watching his brother dancing with his new bride, smiled at how happy his brother appeared.

Brennan staring at Booth, reached her hand across the table, "Would you like to dance?"

Turning, Booth beamed, "Absolutely."

Taking her hand in his, Booth led his partner onto the dance floor. Placing his hands on her waist, Booth led her in a slow dance. Brennan staring up into Booth's happy face, asked, "I know you want to get married some day. Do you mind that Jared married before you did?"

Frowning, Booth glanced at his younger brother and replied, "Nah. I'm happy for him. Padme was just what he needed. He's really settled down since they've met. I'm glad he found someone."

Glancing at Jared and then at Booth, Brennan responded, "You'll find someone someday Booth."

Turning his gaze back at Brennan, Booth replied, "Don't worry about me, Bones. Everyone has their day. I'll have mine."

After they'd danced for awhile, a younger man approached them and asked to dance with Brennan. Brennan shaking her head, responded, "I promised Booth that I would only dance with him."

The younger man, disappointed, turned and looked for someone else to dance with him.

Booth watching the young man approach one of the bridesmaids, turned back to his partner, "Thanks Bones."

Smiling, Brennan moved her arms around and leaned against him, "I promised you that I would only dance with you. I keep my promises."

Holding her a little closer, Booth looked down at Brennan, "You sure do. Thanks for coming to the wedding with me, Bones. I'm glad you're my date. I really enjoy being with you."

Nodding her head, Brennan stared up into Booth's eyes, "I enjoy being with you too."

Taking a chance, Booth smiled warmly at his lovely partner, "I love you Bones."

Smiling, Brennan replied, "I know you do Booth."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooo

After they'd been at the reception for a few hours, Booth and Brennan sat down and recorded more notes into Brennan's notebook. Some of the party goers had gotten more than a little drunk and Booth and Brennan kept tab of their behavior. Jotting down her notes, Brennan looked up at Booth as he watched his grandfather nap on a chair near the back door.

Concerned for Hank, she asked, "Do you think it's time to leave? Perhaps we should take Hank home?"

Turning this gaze back at Brennan, he replied, "If you think you're done with your research then I'm ready to leave. This is the first reception I've ever been at where I didn't do any drinking. It's definitely been a different experience."

Standing, Brennan placed her notebook in her purse. Booth, finishing his coke, stood up and walked over to where his grandfather was resting.

"Hey, Pops, ready to go home?"

Opening his eyes, Hank replied, "Sure. Are you sober enough to drive?"

Laughing, Booth responded, "I've only had cokes and water today, Pops."

Surprised, Booth's grandfather replied, "You turning into a teetotaler?"

Shaking his head, Booth answered, "Just for awhile, Pops, just until I get my head straightened out."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"_Why won't you marry me Rebecca?"_

_Glancing away, she sighed, "You gamble too much, Seeley. You have a dangerous job in the army and you're hardly ever home. I just don't think you're ready for marriage yet, maybe someday; but, not right now. I think it would be a big mistake to marry you and I just can't take that kind of risk."_

"_But we're going to have a baby together."_

_Shaking her head, Rebecca frowned, "That's no excuse to rush into marriage, Seeley. You're life is too messy right now. I can't deal with that and having a baby."_

_Watching her walk away from him, he called out to her, "I love you Rebecca."_

_Stopping, Rebecca's shoulders slumped, "I know you do, Seeley. It isn't enough."_

Waking, Booth clenched his jaw. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and tried to relax enough to fall back asleep.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 

I would be grateful if you reviewed my story. Thanks.


	39. Chapter 39

(The Predator in the Pool)

Thanks for all of your encouraging reviews.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Booth was looking over a report that Charlie had handed him as he'd walked into his office when Catherine Bryar walked in a few minutes later.

Standing, Booth gestured to the chair across from his desk, "What can I do for you?"

Smiling Catherine ignored the chair and continued to stand, "Hi, I thought I would stop by and see if you've made any progress today."

Returning her smile, Booth answered, "Oh, well, yeah, Dr. Brennan, she's still working on the identification.

Nodding her head, Catherine stared at the agent, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "Sure."

Glancing around the room and then back at Booth, she asked, "Yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime? Maybe this weekend? Unless, of course, I'm a suspect because I know you can't date me if I'm a suspect, right?"

Surprised, Booth slowly shook his head, "Uh, I'm sorry, I'm dating someone right now."

A little embarrassed, Catherine responded, "Oh, I'm sorry, I misunderstood . . . uh, well, I thought maybe you were interested in me when we met at the Jeffersonian, obviously I was wrong."

Shaking his head, Booth smiled, "No, the fault was mine, I'm sure. I, uh, I am dating someone and I . . ."

Holding up her hand, Catherine interrupted Booth, "No, that's ok. You've told me what I need to know. I guess I'll be going now."

Smiling, Booth stood up, "It was nice meeting you again Dr. Bryar."

Nodding her head, Catherine left. Booth, frowning, returned to his report.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Eating at the Royal Diner, Booth stared at Brennan while she told him about Hodgins' experiment with coral and his ability to narrow down the time of death of the victim. Cam had called him earlier about it, but he loved Brennan's enthusiasm for her job and let her explain it to him again.

Sipping his coffee, Booth placed the cup down, "That's good. There were 28 people that we know of who were at the aquarium Saturday morning between midnight and 6 a.m. Most of them are employees and security guards."

Curious, Brennan asked, "Are all of them still alive?"

Booth hearing his phone ring reached into his pocket, pulled it out and answered it.

Without preamble, Andrew Hacker said, "This NOAA thing is turning into a full-fledged investigation."

Puzzled, Brennan asked, "Who is it?"

Smiling, Booth mouthed, "Hacker."

Continuing, Hacker informed Booth, "I called because I got a heads up on your missing person. It looks like it might be Jazz Gunn, the inspirational speaker."

Staring at Brennan, Booth responded, "Wow, Gotcha."

Courteous, Hacker asked, "So are you with Dr. Brennan right now?"

Frowning, Booth replied, "Yeah, we're eating lunch."

Smiling, Andrew cleared his throat, "Tell Temperance hi for me."

Sighing, Booth leaned towards Brennan, "Andrew says hi."

Nodding her head, Brennan pursed her lips, "Tell him hello."

Feeling foolish, Booth placed his phone back to his head, "Bones says hi."

Hearing Booth's tone of voice, Hacker frowned, "Ok, well, I have to go."

Ending his call, Booth placed his phone back in his jacket pocket. "I think he still wants to date you."

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "No, I won't date anyone that you have to answer to Booth. You made it clear that it might cause you problems at work."

Happy, Booth smiled, "Yeah, Thanks. So, I was wondering if you want to go out this weekend. I heard about some new play that Cam says is pretty good. We could go Saturday night, I mean if you don't have plans or something."

Shaking her head, Brennan smiled, "A play sounds nice. No, I don't have any plans. Are you sure you want to take me? I noticed that Dr. Bryar seemed interested in you earlier. Maybe you could ask her."

Shaking his head, Booth responded, "Nah, Dr. Bryar seemed ok; but, I don't think we clicked, yah know?"

Picking up her fork, she speared a cucumber slice, "She seemed like a very nice person."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth picked up his sandwich, "You either click or you don't. She and I just don't, uh, click. So, want to go with me to the play?"

Staring at her cucumber slice, Brennan nodded her head, "Yes. Just tell me what time you want me to be there."

Shaking his head, Booth studied his sandwich, "No, no, I'll come get you. Maybe we can go out to dinner first or maybe coffee afterward, up to you of course. I heard about a little bistro that makes a really good pasta primavera. "

Popping the cucumber into her mouth, Brennan nodded her head.

Pleased with how that went, Booth bit into his sandwich. Chewing slowly, Booth smiled at Brennan.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 

_"Come on Bones, why do you have to be like that? I know he's your protege' but he acts like a Vulcan. The guy acts like . . . What?"_

_She was glaring at him and he wasn't very happy about it, still Zach had wanted to give up on her and Hodgins and he'd practically forced him to continue to help look for them. He just found that hard to forgive._

_"As far as he knew he was right, Booth. We should have been out of oxygen when the clock ran down. He was unaware that Hodgins and I had found ways to refresh our oxygen supply."_

_Shaking his head, he sighed, "He assumed you were dead. You know the old saying about assume don't you?"_

_Frowning, Brennan replied, "No not really."_

_Smirking, Booth placed his hands on his hips, "If you assume something, you may make an ass out of u and me. Get it?"_

_Shrugging her shoulders, she crossed her arms, "It was a valid assumption."_

_Frustrated, he glared at her, "It's a damn good thing he wasn't in charge then wasn't it? He'd have tossed up his hands and told us all to stand down because you were dead. Well, I was in charge and you weren't dead and we saved you. Sometimes logic is a handicap, Bones. Sometimes you have to go with your gut."_

_Pursing her lips, Brennan responded, "I agree."_

_Surprised, he stared at her, "Really? You never agree with me."  
_

_Smiling, Brennan explained, "Even a broken clock is correct twice a day."_

_Rolling his eyes, he responded, "Ha Ha, very funny."_

Feeling stiff, Booth heard the alarm clock bleet and rolled towards it, slamming his hand on the snooze button, he muttered, "Shut up."

_oooooooooooooooooooooooooo_

So, Catherine Bryar is out of the picture and so is Hacker. Reviews would really be appreciated, thanks.


	40. Chapter 40

(The Rocker in the Rinse Cycle)

Thanks for the great review. Thanks for sticking with this story.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

They'd solved the case and as was their custom, they went to the Founding Father's for a drink. They'd each bought a coke and after that was finished, Booth smiled, "I'm tired of soda, Bones. Let's order some Scotch. Let's be wild and forget Gordon and just have a good honest drink."

Smiling, Brennan replied, "Alright. It has been along time since we've actually drunk any alcohol."

Lifting up his hand, Booth got the attention of the bartender, "Hey, we'd each like a scotch and make it a double."

Surprised that his steady customers were off the teetotaling, Tim smiled, "You got it."

Their drinks arriving, Booth lifted his glass in a salute, "Bottoms up."

Lifting her glass, Brennan replied, "Slainte."

Smiling, Booth took a sip and allowed the liquid to sit in his mouth for a few seconds before swallowing it. "Yes, you know I don't think giving up alcohol has really worked Bones. I dream every night. Some dreams are bad and some are good; but, I still have vivid dreams."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan remarked, "It was at least worth trying Booth. If you feel it doesn't make a difference then ignore Gordon's advice."

Smiling, Booth finished his drink and smiled, "Want another one?"

Pushing her glass towards Booth, Brennan responded, "Neither of us has had alcohol in months. I think we would should be careful how much we drink."

Nodding his head, Booth waved to the bartender for another refill. "Sure, you're right."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

After his third scotch, Booth felt light headed, turning to Brennan, Booth smiled, "I think I better stop."

Nodding her head, Brennan held her third glass of scotch in her hand, the liquid untouched. Noticing the goofy look on Booth's face, Brennan smiled, "I think you better stop too."

Nodding his head, he looked around and then leaned towards Brennan, "I love you Bones, you know that right?"

Smiling, Brennan placed her glass down and moved it towards the center of the bar, "Yes, I do."

Placing his elbow on the bar and his head in his hand, Booth smiled, "We click you know?"

Puzzled, Brennan replied, "Yes, I believe we do."

Placing his hand over hers, Booth squeezed it, "Thank you Bones. Thanks for helping me. Thanks for helping me when I really needed it. You didn't have to; but, you helped me and I . . . if it wasn't for you I don't think I'd have got this far and I want you to know that I know that."

Puzzled, Brennan responded, "You don't have to thank me Booth. You're my best friend. It's what friends do for each other."

Frowning, Booth shook his head, "Not always, Bones and that's a fact. Not every one gets to know someone like you. I'm lucky. I'm really lucky."

Patting their clasped hands, Brennan stared at the glazed eyes staring at her, "I think you need to go home. I'll call you a cab."

Surprised, Booth complained, "It's early."

Clearing her throat, Brennan commented, "I think you're a little inebriated, Booth. You're not used to drinking alcohol."

Sighing, Booth bit his lower lip, "Think I'm drunk? Three scotches aren't much."

Soothingly, Brennan responded, "It is when you've been drinking cokes for months and you've just drunk three doubles."

Staring at their clasped hands, Booth pulled Brennan's hand to his lips and kissed it, "Okay, if you say so."

Angela, walking into the bar searching for Hodgins, witnessed Booth kissing Brennan's hand. Placing her hand over her mouth, Angela stared at her friends with a stunned look on her face. Looking around and not seeing Hodgins, she turned and left the bar.

Oooooooooooooooo

Brennan was in Bones Storage working on identifying a victim that had been found dumped in a National forest ten years earlier. The victim had been a teen aged boy and she hoped to finally give the boy a name and his family closure.

Angela, after searching for her friend for a few minutes, sauntered into the room and placed her hands on her hips, "Bren, why didn't you tell me that you and Booth are dating."

Looking up, Brennan frowned, "We aren't dating."

Crossing her arms across her chest, Angela shook her head, "Oh come on, I saw you two last night. You two were holding hands and Booth even kissed your hand. That is not how partners behave."

Irritated, Brennan sighed, "He's my best friend Angela, we aren't dating."

Tapping her foot, Angela shook her head again, "I bet if you ask Booth if he loves you I bet he'd tell you that he does. He didn't look like a friend to me last night. He looked like someone in love."

Placing the femur down on to the table in front of her, Brennan explained, "Booth does love me and I love him, as friends."

Snorting, Angela responded, "No, Brennan, not as friends. He loves you. Period."

Dismissing Angela, Brennan picked up the femur again, "Booth does not love me the way you think he does."

Throwing up her hands, Angela responded, "My God, Bren, the next time you're with Booth, really look at how he stares at you. None of my friends look at me like that."

Seeing the stubborn set of her friend's jaw, Angela shook her head and left the room.

Brennan, aware that Angela had left the room, put the femur back down on the table and placed her hands flat on the table. Staring at the bones in front of her, Brennan bit her lip and replayed the conversation Booth and she had the night before in her mind.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

_He was strumming an air guitar and singing while she was jumping around and singing with him. It was fun. He felt happy and somehow relaxed. The phone rang and she answered it. Listening he understood she was talking to her boyfriend David. Feeling jealous, he stood quietly by while she talked on the phone. After she'd finished talking and ended her call he didn't feel so relaxed anymore. Trying to lighten his sudden mood change, he asked her if she had a soda or something. Smiling, she offered to get it from the fridge, but he wanted to get it. He wanted to remove himself a little from her presence. He wasn't sure why, he just knew it was the right thing to do._

_Walking over to the kitchen, he reached up for a glass while opening the fridge and saw a sudden bright light overwhelm him, thow him across the room and engulf his world in pain and in sudden darkness._

Panting, Booth woke up, his heart racing. Shaking his head, he sat up and raised his knees up. Holding his arms around his legs, he tried to calm his breathing. Swallowing, he felt like he couldn't catch his breath. Finally starting to feel a little panicky, he rolled off the bed and walked over to the dresser and placed his hands on top. Using the breathing techniques Gordon had taught him, he finally felt like he could breathe, that he wasn't going to die. After a few minutes of quiet breathing, Booth stood up straight and closed his eyes. Biting his bottom lip he opened his eyes and sighed. "That was bad, very very bad."

oooooooooooooooooooo

Reviews would be appreciated. Thank you.

A/N: Next Thursday will be the chapter you've been waiting for.


	41. Chapter 41

(The Witch in the Wardrobe)

Thanks for the wonderful reviews.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sitting in the Founding Fathers, Booth was in a playful mood, pulling out a little paper effigy, he smiled.

Suspicious, Brennan asked, "What's that?"

Holding it up so she could see it clearly, Booth answered, "This was given to me by the witches. Look, it's you, Little Bones."

Shaking her head, Brennan responded, "No, it's not."

Laughing, Booth moved the little paper figure, "Yes it is, you see? The witch said that if I burned this in your presence, then the wish I make for you would come true." Opening his lighter, he flipped the wheel to light it.

Frowning, Brennan replied "It's just superstition. For superstition to work the person has to believe that he or she is cursed or under a spell."

Suddenly serious, Booth lit the figure and closed his eyes making his wish. Dropping the burning figure onto the table before he was burned he asked his partner, "Want to know what I wished for?"

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "No, it doesn't matter, it's completely irrelevant."

Studying her face, Booth answered anyway, "Happiness, love, laughter, friendship, purpose and a dance."

Surprised, Brennan responded, "Oh, well, then thank you. Thank you for your kindness, Booth."

Sighing, Booth placed his hand on hers, "You know Bones. I'm here for you. I want you to find love because it's there waiting for you. You just have to open your eyes and see it. I want you to be happy and I want you to love life. I want you to have the things in life that you should."

Puzzled, Brennan remarked, "I am happy."

Concerned, Booth asked, "Are you? I hope you are. I want you to be happy."

Smiling, Brennan replied, "I am Booth."

Nodding his head, Booth smiled, "Good. You deserve it."

Removing his hand from hers, Booth picked up his glass of wine and sipped it. Looking around, Booth smiled, "It's nice sitting here with you, celebrating the conclusion of our case. I really enjoy being with you."

Studying Booth's face, Brennan frowned.

Puzzled, Booth asked, "What's wrong?"

Shaking her head, Brennan sighed, "Nothing, I was just thinking about something Angela told me the other day."

Frowning, Booth asked, "Is it something I should know about?"

Shaking her head again, Brennan sadly replied, "No, it was just an observation she made."

Nodding his head, Booth smiled, "She's pretty smart. Where is Angela? I hope she and Hodgins are out of jail. Maybe I should make a phone call and see about getting them set free."

Frowning, Brennan replied, "No, they were released earlier this afternoon. They should be back in town by now."

Sipping his wine, Booth remarked, "So, want to rent some movies? We could pop some popcorn and watch a couple of movies, your choice. I'm game for anything tonight."

Slowly shaking her head, Brennan responded, "No, I have some things I have to do. I really need to leave."

Frowning, Booth replied, "Okay, if you can't you can't, maybe later this week or maybe this weekend."

Standing and picking up her purse, Brennan replied, "Maybe. I don't know if I'll have any free time this weekend. Good night, Booth."

Puzzled at her quiet demeanor, Booth replied, "Night Bones." Watching her leave the bar, Booth moved his glass of wine away from him and placed his hands on the table.

Studying his hands, Booth made a decision, pulled a few bills from his wallet, left them on the table and left the bar.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sitting in the kitchen of Gordon's restaurant, Booth sat at the Chef's table and watched the activity surrounding him. Gordon occasionally glancing at Booth sighed and worried about what the somberness was about.

After the dinner crowd had finished, Gordon settled himself at the table with Booth, bringing with him two beers. "Here, this is a German beer. It's dark and very strong so be careful."

Nodding his head, Booth took a sip and placed the glass down. "I may have screwed something up."

Curious, Gordon asked, "What?"

Sighing, Booth shook his head, "I don't know. This evening I was sitting over at the Founding Fathers with Bones and I had this little effigy I burned and made a wish for Bones and she kind of changed before my eyes. She grew sad and told me she had things to do and left. I think I scared her or something."

Puzzled, Gordon asked, "What did you wish for?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth answered, "Happiness, love, laughter, friendship, purpose and a dance. Those are good things. I don't know why that made her sad; but, it did."

Studying Booth's soulful expression, Gordon replied, "Did you ask her why she was sad."

Moving the beer glass between his hands, Booth looked at the beer glass as he made a circle on the table, "She said it was just something Angela observed. I don't know what's going on. I'm worried that I did something and now she's afraid of me."

Surprised, Gordon asked, "What makes you think she's afraid of you?"

Sighing, Booth looked at Gordon, "Her body language changed. She pulled away from me and then left."

Rubbing his chin, Gordon commented, "Maybe she's just tired."

Slowly shaking his head, Booth replied, "No, I'm sure I screwed up. I think that wish I made for her . . . I screwed up and I don't know how to fix it without making it worse."

Placing his hand over Booth's hand, Gordon responded, "You may be misinterpreting what you saw. I don't see where you did anything wrong, Booth. I think something else is going on."

Swallowing, Booth replied, "I love her, Gordon. I want her to . . . I want her to love me; but, I know I can't push her. She's afraid of love. Hell, she's terrified of love. I've been trying to help her see that love is a good thing and I've tried to be very careful to help her see that I'm there for her if she'd just look at me; but, something happened tonight and . . . ."

Patting Booth's hand, Gordon replied, "I counsel patience, Booth. Just wait and see what happens. You may be making a mountain out of a mole hill. Wait a few days and talk to her and see if things really have changed. If they have, then rethink your strategy; but, whatever you do don't give up. Don't let a setback destroy your plan. Sometimes the mountain really does need to go to Mohammad. Don't give up."

Nodding his head, Booth sighed, "No, I won't give up. You're right. I might have to rework my plan; but, you're right. I won't give up. I want her. She's the only one I want. I can't give up, not now."

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Reviews would be appreciated, thank you.

A/N: Don't worry. We're getting very close. The next chapter is what most of you have been waiting for. See you Thursday.


	42. Chapter 42

(The Boy With the Answer and The Beginning in the End)

Just a warning, this chapter will be longer than normal. I don't want to break up the rhythm of the story and once you start reading this chapter you will understand why. Besides, I did promise that today is the day and I try to keep my word.

I don't own Bones.

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Standing outside the bar, Brennan watched Hodgins and Angela walk away. Turning towards Booth she sighed, "I have a sense that everything's changing, Booth."

Not understanding Brennan's sadness, Booth responded, "Well, not everything. Look, we're still partners. Right? Taffet, she's been put away. I mean, you're feeling good about that right?"

Frowning, Brennan looked at Booth's worried face, "You almost died, Booth. Taffet almost killed you. That can happen again. What if, next time, I can't get to you?"

Slowly shaking his head, Booth assured her, "It's not going to happen again."

Looking at the pavement below their feet, Brennan grimaced, "I envy your ability to substitute optimism for reality. I'm not like you Booth. I . . . I'm not like you."

Licking his lips, Booth smiled, "You know what? Maybe you need to take some time off. Go to a beach and lay in the sun. Drink a few mai tais."

Shaking her head, Brennan replied, "I might need more than a little time."

Suddenly afraid, Booth asked, "Bones, is it something I did? I mean a few weeks ago I burned that effigy and you've been kind of, I don't know, different. If I did something wrong, then I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Shaking her head again, Brennan frowned, "You haven't done anything wrong, Booth. I'm just tired. I'm so tired of murder and death. I just . . ." Turning, she hailed a cab.

The cab pulling up in front of them, Booth tried to smile and failed, "Alright. I know this Taffet trial really upset you and I . . . Look Bones, if I did something wrong, I'm sorry. Okay?"

Opening the back door of the cab, Brennan sighed, "It isn't you, Booth. It's me." Entering the cab, she closed the door and gave the cab driver her address.

Booth, uncertain what was going on watched the cab pull away. Walking over to the bus stop, he sat down and put his head in his hands.

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Booth didn't hear from Brennan for the next few days and each time he tried to call her he was shunted to voicemail. Hoping that time might settle the problem, he decided to give her space, praying that it was the right decision.

When they'd finally caught a case, Booth was on edge; but, he jumped at the chance to see Brennan again. The case dealt with a hoarder and Booth really hated that. He never understood how someone could just keep stuff that had no value.

Brennan seemed to be distant as they worked together and Booth tried to think of a way to change that. He really wasn't sure if it was something he'd done or if it really was the Taffet case; but, he knew that he'd better be as patient as he could be if he didn't want to lose his only chance to be with her.

Standing near the Coffee Cart at the Park talking to Sweets about their case, Booth noticed Colonel Dan Pelant standing a few feet away. Annoyed, Booth approached the colonel. "I hope this is coincidental."

Shaking his head, Pelant informed Booth, "Most definitely not, Master Sergeant."

Irritated, Booth responded, "I'm not a master sergeant. I'm FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth." Holding up his badge, he asked, "Why'd they send you?"

Smiling, Pelant answered, "I told them you'd talk to me. So far, so good."

Laughing bitterly, Booth walked away, "You're wrong, we're not talking."

Calling after him, the colonel exclaimed, "We're losing men every day, men who don't have to die and wouldn't if you trained them. Your country needs you."

Ignoring him, Booth walked back over to where Sweets was standing. Sweets curious, asked, "Who is that guy?"

Snorting, Booth replied, "That's none of your business. Head back to the murder victim's apartment and see if you can use your mojo to find some psychological clues from the garbage in that apartment."

Turning, Booth left Sweets standing alone. Turning back towards the Colonel, Sweets watched him shake his head and walk away.

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Booth was sitting in the Royal Diner, drinking a cup of coffee and waiting for Brennan when the colonel showed up. Arriving at his table, Pelant sat down.

"Look, Master Sergeant, your country needs you."

Staring steadily at the colonel, Booth responded, "A tour in Kosovo, one in Somalia, two tours in Iraq. Special duty in Guatemala, when is enough enough Colonel? When does doing your duty for your country become enough? I've served since I was 18 years old. I've seen things and done things that my government told me was necessary. I did them because they needed to be done. I'm 40 years old. When do I get to have my life, Colonel? When does my government think that I've done enough?"

Sighing, Pelant answered, "We really need you."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "No, not anymore. I'm done with that. No matter how much guilt you try to use on me, I'm telling you right now, the answer is no. I'm not some kid that can be pressured into doing what you want me to do. I have responsibilities to my son and to my job. What I do is important, Colonel Pelant. I will not re-up and that is my final say in the matter."

Pulling an envelope out of his pocket, the colonel handed it to Booth. Without looking at it, Booth tore it in half and handed it back. "I love the Army, Colonel. I love the men and women that serve; but, I've had enough. I've had more than enough."

Nodding his head, Colonel Pelant stood up, "I'm very disappointed in you Booth."

Laughing sardonically, Booth shook his head, "Piss off, Colonel Pelant. Just leave me the hell alone."

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Brennan arriving at the Diner, watched Pelant talking to Booth through the window. Waiting for the colonel to leave, Brennan entered the Diner. Sitting across from Booth, Brennan asked, "Who were you talking to?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "Just an old army buddy. No one important."

Frowning, Brennan observed, "You didn't look like buddies to me."

Surprised, Booth responded, "Okay, we aren't. He's trying to get me to re-up; but, I told him no."

Curious, Brennan asked, "Why do they want you back? Your memory problems are part of your medical records."

Sighing, Booth turned his gaze out of the window, "They want me to train soldiers in tracking and apprehending insurgents in Afghanistan. They don't give a damn if I can't remember stuff from the last three and half years."

Brennan commented, "I suppose you could save lives."

Turning his gaze back at Brennan, Booth responded, "What I do here is important too, Bones. I have responsibilities to my son, to my job and to you. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying and so are you. What we do is important. We find justice for those who don't have a voice. We put away people who think that life is cheap and their's for the taking. I save lives here too, Bones and so do you."

Staring at the intense look on Booth's face, Brennan nodded her head.

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Sitting on a bench near the Coffee Cart, Booth stared at his coffee cup, "So, Bones, here we are. What's the mystery about?"

Staring at Booth, Brennan replied, "I've been offered the chance to head up the Maluku Island project."

Sighing, Booth looked at his partner, "Yeah, Daisy told Sweets who told me."

Frowning, Brennan responded, "I'd like to accept."

Surprised, Booth muttered, "I thought you all ready had."

Irritated, Brennan exclaimed, "We've been partners for five years, Booth. I wouldn't make a decision without talking to you first."

Sad, Booth bit his lower lip, "Look, you don't need my permission. Okay, It's alright. You do what you have to do. I'll be here when you get back."

Puzzled, Brennan responded, "I thought you were going to Afghanistan."

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "No, I'm not. I told you I'm not and I meant it. If you need to go to Maluku then that's fine; but, I'm staying here. If you're going then I'll get Cam to arrange for Clark Edison to take over for you until you get back. I can work with him. He's sharp and even though he isn't as good as you are that doesn't really matter because no one is as good as you are. I figured between, Clark, me, Cam and the squints we'll keep it together until you get back."

Frowning, Brennan asked, "You really aren't going to Afghanistan?"

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "I'm really not going to Afghanistan."

Nodding her head, Brennan smiled, "It will only be for one year. It's an opportunity that I really can't turn down."

Trying to smile and failing miserably, Booth nodded his head, "Sure, Bones. I understand. . . . I want you to remember one thing while your gone, Bones. Just one thing . . . . I love you. Not as a friend, not as a partner. I love you. Some day I hope you'll love me and I'm willing to wait for you to make up your mind." Standing, Booth looked down at Brennan's lovely worried face, "I'll be here when you get back."

Watching him walk away, his shoulders hunched and his hands in his pockets, Brennan felt a lump in her throat. She'd been fighting her feelings for him for so long. She was so afraid of the thought of being in love. The risk involved in loving someone only to have them run away from her was more than she could bear. She was so afraid to let herself love him. "What if he finds out the truth of me and is disappointed? What if he finds out that I am not someone that can be loved? I don't know if I can risk losing him from life."

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Standing at Gate E3 of the airport, Brennan kept glancing at Booth. Booth, standing off to the side, watched first Cam and then Hodgins and Angela talk to Brennan. Finally her flight number being called, Booth stepped over to where she was standing, "You be careful in Maluku, Bones."

Nodding her head, Brennan smiled, "Yes, I will." Frowning, she stared into his sad face, "Booth, it's just for a year."

Nodding his head, Booth took her hand in his, "Bones, I love you. I love you and I . . . Yeah, I'll be here waiting for you when you come back."

Feeling emotional, Brennan started to move away from Booth. Booth, pulling her back, placed his arms around her and kissed her. Their kiss though short seemed to last a lifetime. Finally feeling Daisy tugging on her shirt, trying to get her to move towards their boarding gate, Brennan pulled back.

Swallowing, Brennan turned and walked briskly away. Booth, feeling like he might do something stupid that he might regret later, turned and walked in the opposite direction.

Cam, Angela and Hodgins stunned, watched the partners walk away from each other.

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It had been two weeks and Booth was depressed. He knew why he was depressed and he kept telling himself that he only had to be patient; but, he knew that this coming year was going to be an eternity. His sleep had been interrupted by nightmare after nightmare. His sleep pattern was so disrupted that he couldn't sleep longer than three or four hours before the bad dreams came and took over his night.

Tired, Booth decided to drink a few scotches to help unwind before going to bed. After awhile he lost track of how many he had and finally passed out on his couch, oblivious to the world.

_They were in a club and Brennan was standing on a stage, singing. He loved her voice. She had told him that she could sing and truth be told he'd been skeptical; but, he'd found out she really could sing. Smiling, he took out a lighter and turning the wheel, lit it. Waving it in the air he pretended he was at a rock concert. Laughing, he watched her start to bounce around and he felt so happy for her._

_Suddenly, he heard someone calling to him from across the room. Pam had a gun in her hand and he was shocked. Standing he placed himself between her and Brennan. A shot rang out and he felt himself fall. Afraid, he lay there, unable to move. Staring up, he saw his Brennan leaning over him, pressing her hand against his chest, telling him to stay, that he couldn't leave. He wanted to tell her it was okay; but, he couldn't speak. He couldn't move. He was afraid he was going to die. He wanted to tell her he loved her; but, he couldn't get the words out. His world was getting black around the edges and he couldn't move. He was dying and she'd never know how he felt about her._

Hearing a steady banging on the door, Booth opened his eyes. Gasping, he felt like his back was in a vise and his head was pounding with the rhythm of the sounds coming from the door. Unable to move, Booth placed his hands over his face and groaned. Weakly, he called out, "Go away."

Unsure if anyone heard him, he tried to roll off of the couch. Finally finding himself on the floor, Booth managed to get to his knees and then to his feet. The pounding on his door becoming unbearable, he staggered to the door and opened it. Glaring, Booth tried to focus his eyes only to feel himself bowled backwards. Barely remaining standing, Booth felt someone holding onto him. That person was crying and kissing him at the same time.

Forcing his eyes to focus, forcing himself to focus, Booth finally understood that Brennan was holding onto him. She was kissing him and telling him that she loved him.

Stunned, Booth returned the kisses.

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Well, what do you think? Reviews would be welcome. Thanks.

A/N: This is not the end of my story. Oh and I might as well mention, there will be no Hannah in my story. I know some of you are disappointed; but, you'll just have to accept that.

Yes, the Colonel's name on the show was Dan Pelant.


	43. Chapter 43

(After the Beginning in the End)

Thanks for all of the great reviews.

I don't own Bones.

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No one had seen Booth for several days. He'd called in sick one day and then he'd called Cullen and asked for vacation time the day afterwards. He'd explained to the Deputy Director that he was exhausted and he needed to recharge his batteries before coming back to work. Cullen, who'd been aware that Booth had taken the departure of his partner to the Maluku islands hard had approved the vacation time. Cam had been notified and Cullen had arranged to have two of his agents rotate as liaison with the Jeffersonian until Booth got back.

What concerned Cam was the fact that she hadn't seen or talked to her friend for five days and that started to worry her. Arriving at Booth's apartment, she knocked on his door and waited. She could hear music coming from the apartment; so, she knew he was home. After a few minutes, Cam started to knock louder, her concern for Booth becoming sharper.

Finally opening the door, Booth greeted Cam in a pair of sweat pants and nothing else. Smiling, Booth asked, "Hey, Cam, what's up?"

Surprised at his appearance and at his happy demeanor, Cam laughed, "I was worried about you. I hadn't heard from you in five days and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Grinning, Booth held onto the door frame and answered, "Oh, I'm fine. Thanks for checking up on me. I'm just taking a few days off to recharge the old batteries."

Puzzled about his attitude, Cam shook her head, "Have you heard from Dr. Brennan?"

Nodding his head, Booth answered, "Oh sure. She's doing okay. In fact, the last time I talked to her, she seemed pretty happy to me."

Nodding her head, Cam cocked her head to the side, "What's going on?"

Releasing the door, Booth clasped his hands in front of him, "What makes you think something's going on?"

Snickering Cam replied, "Gee, I don't know. You suddenly go on vacation. You're wearing just sweatpants at one in the afternoon and you're smiling from ear to ear. It doesn't take a genius to know you're up to something. . . ." Suddenly concerned, " You've met someone haven't you? . . . Oh, Seeley, I hope you aren't making a mistake."

Frowning, Booth responded, "I'm on vacation. If I want to run around naked in my apartment then that's my business. As for me being happy, what's wrong with that?"

Rubbing her eyebrow, Cam shook her head, "I know you were upset when Dr. Brennan left. I just don't want you to jump into a relationship that you might regret later. I worry about you."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "Don't worry about me, Cam. I'm happy. I'll be back at work on Monday."

Sighing, Cam responded, "Okay, fine. You're a big boy and you can take care of yourself. I just hope this doesn't explode in your face."

Shaking his head, Booth stepped back, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Camille."

Closing the door, Booth leaned against it and looked down the hallway. Shaking his head again, he stood away from the door and walked back into the living room. Changing out the CD and restarting his music, he walked into the bedroom, removed his sweat pants and climbed into bed.

Brennan, smiling, held out her arms and asked, "So where were we?"

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_They're searching methodically for her; but, they were running out of time. He knows and so do the men that are with him, still they search each room carefully. They know Kenton came into this building with her and they need to find them fast, find her fast. _

_Cutting across a room with multiple doors he spies keys lying on the floor. He's in too much pain to bend down to pick them up, so he whistles softly drawing the attention of Hodgins and the agents with them. Hodgins picks up the keys and he recognizes that they belong to Brennan. Walking rapidly towards an open doorway, he sees Brennan hanging from her wrists attached to a block and tackle, Kenton on the verge of taking her life. Raising his gun he shoots Kenton. Rushing as fast as his damaged body will allow he moves to her side and removes her gag. He tries to lift her from the hook with his good hand; but, his shoulders and chest are on fire and he can't do it. Ducking between her arms, he lifts her off of the hook with his neck and they both fall to their knees. Her arms around his neck, she's shaking like a leaf in a storm. She's so afraid and all he can do is comfort her. _

"_Oh, it's okay. I'm right here."_

_She moves a little back to look at his pained filled face, "How'd you'd you get out of the hospital?"_

_Feeling the weight of her on his broken clavicle, he winces and replies, "Hodgins gave me a ride. Maybe . . . maybe you could give me a ride back though, huh?_

_Grabbing him she hugs him tightly and the pain is so bad he gasps. She's hurting him; but, he can't tell her._

Feeling a hand shaking him, Booth opens his eyes to see Brennan leaning over him. "Booth, you were gasping like you couldn't catch your breath. Is there any thing wrong? Are you in pain?"

Smiling, Booth shook his head, "No, I'm okay. It was just a bad dream."

Nodding her head, Brennan leaned against Booth and put her arms around his chest, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Considering the dream, Booth sighed, "I don't know. It might be a memory dream and if it was, it was bad. I don't want to upset you. If it's just something else, it still might bother you."

Sighing, Brennan responded, "Talk to me Booth. You need to let me know what's going on."

Nodding his head, he placed his arm around her and told her about his dream. Once he was done he waited to see how Brennan would respond. After awhile, he started to worry, "I'm sorry, Bones. I knew I shouldn't have . . . "

Interrupting Booth, Brennan spoke quietly, "No, Booth. You were right to tell me. That was something that really happened. It was the first year we became partners. The man you shot was an FBI agent."

Nodding his head, Booth responded, "Yeah, I recognized him. I just . . . why did he do that? Why was he trying to kill you? I don't remember that case and I sure don't remember seeing that case file. I . . . I tried to read them all, but, we've had so many cases and I just didn't have time to read them all, I . . ."

Rubbing his chest, Brennan interrupted him again, "No, I know you haven't had a chance to read about every case we've worked on. Since you've been back at work, your time is taken up with the work we have now, you don't have time to go back and look any more. That's alright."

Asking, Booth swallowed, "Why did Kenton try to kill you? How did he kidnap you? I mean I can't have been doing my job if I let him kidnap you."

Shaking her head, Brennan answered him, "No, you didn't let Kenton kidnap me. You were in the hospital. You'd been in an explosion in my apartment. Kenton had rigged my refrigerator with an explosive and when you opened it you were seriously hurt. Kenton was working on a case with us and he took advantage of that and kidnapped me then. He was involved with the mob and had murdered someone. He tried to kill me making it look like a serial killer did it to protect himself. You figured out that Kenton was dirty while you were lying in the hospital and had Hodgins get you out of there. You then had the FBI search for me and you found me and rescued me even though you were in a lot of pain."

Hugging her tightly, Booth exclaimed, "I had a dream about opening a refrigerator door a while back and it blew up. I just thought it was one of those dumb nightmares. I didn't know that was real."

Smiling sadly, Brennan replied, "Oh, yes it was very real."

Hugging her tightly, Booth sighed, "How do we get into messes like that? It seems, I don't know . . . weird."

Raising herself up on her hand, she looked down at his confused face, "We have a very dangerous job and we come into contact with a lot of very dangerous people. Sometimes those dangerous people turn their wrath upon us."

Nodding his head, Booth smiled at his partner, "I'll do my best to protect you, Bones. I don't want to lose you."

Kissing him, Brennan remarked, "You always have protected me Booth. It's who you are."

Licking his lips, Booth stared into his lover's sparkling blue eyes, "Bones, why did you change your mind about Maluku? Why did you come back? I was willing to wait for a year or even longer."

Frowning, Brennan responded, "I know you would have waited, Booth; but, I couldn't. I realized that I was playing with our future happiness and it wasn't right to do that to you. You've been telling me for months that you love me. At first, I just assumed you meant as a friend and then we started dating and I realized that wasn't what you meant at all."

Surprised, Booth asked, "You knew they were on real dates?"

Smiling, Brennan kissed him and then answered, "Yes, of course. You said they were dates and then you tried to hide their importance to you; but, I soon realized that they were very important to you. I finally understood just how important when you didn't show any interest in Catherine Bryar. I started to think about how you'd changed since your operation and how your were more open about your feelings for me. I've always sensed that we had a connection; but, I couldn't really tell how much of one; but, after the operation and once you realized that we were partners and friends, I could see that you were interested in me. You know I'm terrible at reading people and yet suddenly you were like an open book."

Puzzled, Booth asked, "Why didn't you say anything?'

Closing her eyes, she laid her head on this chest, "I was afraid to. I was afraid that your memory problem was influencing how you felt about me. I was afraid it was temporary; but, weeks went by and if anything your feelings for me became more intense. Still I was afraid to acknowledge it then Angela pointed out that you were in love with me and I just couldn't ignore it anymore. I had to decide what to do about it and that's almost all I thought about until I took that assignment in Maluku. I thought I would use the space and the time to really find out if I had the courage to allow you in to my life."

Sighing, Brennan opened her eyes and pulled herself up to stare at Booth, "Then you kissed me in the airport. That kiss Booth. That kiss was all I could think about on the plane ride and once I got to Maluku I started to realize that I couldn't let you stay here by yourself and not know how I felt about you. You've been through so much since the tumor and I didn't want you to feel like . . . well, I I love you Booth. I love you and I don't want you to be alone."

Swallowing, Booth sighed, "I love you Bones."

Nodding her head, she smiled, "Yes, I know."

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Reviews would be great. Thanks.


	44. Chapter 44

(After the End in the Beginning)

Thanks for continuing with my story.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Opening the fridge, Booth looked inside and then closed the door. Turning, he walked back into the bedroom. Staring at his girlfriend, Booth smiled, "Okay, fun is fun; but, we really need to go grocery shopping."

Sitting up in bed, Brennan smiled, "I told you that yesterday."

Nodding his head, Booth walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and socks, "Well, I was tired yesterday. I'm hungry today."

Throwing her pillow at him, Brennan replied, "You're the one who hasn't wanted to leave the apartment."

Smiling, Booth carried his clothes to the bathroom, "Yeah, yeah. I'm going to take a shower. Maybe we can go out and eat breakfast and then maybe we can go grocery shopping."

Watching him walk into the bathroom, she waited until she heard the water run in the shower. Sliding out of the bed, Brennan smiled and moved to the bathroom as quietly as possible. Entering the room, she walked over to the shower, pulled the curtain back and stepped in to the tub.

Booth aware that he wasn't alone laughed and turned, "Want to . . . "

Placing her right hand on his mouth, she slowly moved the palm of her left hand down his stomach, "Yes."

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Sitting in the Royal Diner, Booth sipped his coffee, "So, when are you going to tell them you're back?"

Sipping her hot tea, Brennan smiled, "I thought I'd wait until next week."

Nodding his head, "Yeah, I have to go back to work tomorrow." Suddenly serious, Booth asked, "Are you going to go back to work or are you going to go back to Maluku?"

Shaking her head, Brennan frowned, "Booth, I'm not going back to Maluku. We just started a relationship, I don't want to be unfair to you and just leave for a dig for a year. Maybe I'll go on a shorter dig later in the summer for a few weeks; but, I'm not going to take on something that will keep us apart for a year."

Relieved, Booth cleared his throat, "Thanks, Bones. I know you really wanted to be a part of that dig."

Shrugging her shoulders, she smiled, "I have what I want Booth. I might take another week or two off. It's been a long time since I've actually taken a vacation and I could use the rest after this week."

Laughing, Booth picked up his fork and scooped up some eggs. "Yeah, I think I was trying to make up for lost time."

Smiling, Brennan reached out her hand and placed it over his, "We're in a relationship, Booth. I'm not going anywhere."

Clasping her hand, he raised it up and kissed the back of it, "I'm not going anywhere either."

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Shopping at the Whole Food Markets, Booth wasn't very happy. Following Brennan around with the shopping cart, he felt uncomfortable in the store. The stuff he was seeing were things he didn't normally buy and organic anything was too rich for his wallet. Making up his mind, he let his girlfriend do the shopping she wanted. Carrying the groceries out to the truck, Booth turned to Brennan, "We need to stop by Safeway on the way back to my apartment."

Puzzled, Brennan asked, "What for?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "I need to pick up a few things."

A little exasperated, Brennan asked, "Why didn't you buy them at the Whole Food Market?"

Clearing his throat, he responded, "Well, uh, I didn't . . . I didn't see my stuff that I like to buy; so, I need to go to Safeway."

Sighing, Brennan walked around the truck and entered the passenger side. Booth, not sure if Brennan was angry, entered the driver's side, "I just didn't see my stuff. I won't take too long."

Seeing the frown on Booth's face, Brennan smiled, "I understand."

Suddenly smiling, Booth turned the key in the ignition, "You'll see, I'll be in and out."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

After shopping for thirty minutes, Booth hurried back out to his truck and placed his groceries in the back with Brennan's. Entering the truck, he turned and smiled, "See, in and out."

Nodding her head, Brennan remarked, "I think I need to go back to my apartment tomorrow."

Suddenly still, Booth stared at Brennan, "Are you mad at me?"

Surprised, Brennan shook her head, "No, why would I be mad at you? Since you're going to be at work, I thought I'd clean my apartment, do some laundry, pay my bills, that sort of thing?"

Relieved, Booth smiled, "Oh, okay, I see. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan."

Reaching out and placing her hand on Booth's arm, she squeezed his arm, "Booth, I'm not going anywhere. Why don't you stay in my apartment this week? We can takes turns between apartments. One week in yours and one week in mine."

Nodding his head, Booth responded, "Sure sounds good."

Moving out into traffic, Booth watched the congested streets closely as he made his way back to his apartment. Once they arrived, the couple unloaded their bags from the truck and carried them upstairs. Putting most of the groceries away, Booth turned to Brennan, "I'll make spaghetti tonight. I'm getting tired of take out."

Pouring herself a glass of iced tea, Brennan smiled, "Good, I love your spaghetti."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_Sitting on the couch with his little brother, he stared at his father, "Where's Mom?"_

_Ignoring his son, Edwin continued to drink his beer and watch the game. _

_Confused, he stood up, "Dad, why is Mom gone? Where is she Dad?"_

_Standing he grabbed his son by the front of his shirt, "She's gone and she's not coming back. Don't bring her up again or you'll regret it." Slapping his son, he roughly threw him towards the couch, turned and left._

_Feeling blood in his mouth, he held his hand next to his split lip and stared as the front door slammed shut behind his father._

_His brother crying, he turned and placed his arms around him, "Don't cry Jared. You're not alone. I'm here. I'll take care of you."_

Opening his eyes, Booth eyes came to rest on Brennan. She was sleeping on her side and facing the other way, her breathing very quiet. Sighing, he rolled onto his back, placed his hands under his head and stared at the ceiling.

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Reviews would be wonderful. Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	45. Chapter 45

(After the End in the Beginning)

Thanks for continuing with my story.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Arriving at the Hoover that Monday morning, Booth found a mound of paper work sitting on his desk. Frowning, he sat down and started going through the files, trying to organize them by priority. Standing, he took his jacket off, removed his phone from one of the pockets and placed his jacket on a coat tree. Sitting back down, he smiled and made a phone call.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Folding her now clean clothes, Brennan answered, "I'm doing my laundry."

Picking up a folder and looking at it, Booth frowned at the post it note stuck on the outside, "Sounds exciting. I got to go. I just wanted to remind you that I love you and I miss you."

Smiling, Brennan responded, "Thank you."

Ending his call, Booth placed another call, "Caroline, what do you mean, Melvin Gallagher is getting out of prison? Isn't he that the guy who kidnapped me?"

"Well, hello to you too Cher'."

Getting the hint, Booth rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sorry. I have a small mountain of reports and folders sitting on my desk and then I saw your note and I wanted to know what's going on? How is that guy getting out of prison?"

Sighing, Caroline closed a folder on a file she'd been studying, "I don't want to talk about this on the phone. Either come by my office or meet me for lunch at the Royal Diner."

Staring at his bright yellow post it note, Booth asked, "I guess I can meet you at the Diner. Is this guy dangerous to me? Has he made threats? What's going on?"

Frowning, Caroline responded, "Seeley Booth, he isn't a danger to you. I need to talk to you about him because I wasn't sure if you remembered him or not and if you do I really need to talk to you about him."

Growing concerned, Booth asked, "Did he make threats to Bones?"

A little exasperated, Caroline replied, "No, he didn't. Just . . . I knew I should have just come over there and talked to you. Look, meet me at the Royal Diner at noon or come by my office. I am not having this conversation on the phone."

Pursing his lips, Booth answered, "Fine, I just don't see why you have to be all mysterious, that's all. I'll meet you at the Diner."

Staring at her file Caroline replied, "I'm not being mysterious. I'm doing you a favor. I'll see you in a few hours."

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Sitting in the Diner, Caroline stared at Booth as he sat down across from her. "You're looking better than you were a few weeks ago. You decided to start taking care of youself?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth turned toward Jane and placed an order for a milkshake, a hamburger and some fries. Once the order was given and Jane walked away, Booth turned his attention to Caroline, "Okay, I remember being kidnapped and I thought it was this guy Melvin Gallaher so I looked him up in the records before I came over here. How is that guy getting out of prison? He kidnapped me and he and that goon of his tortured me. He should rot in prison for what he did. I mean, he got life in prison."

Reaching over and placing her hand over his agitated hand, Caroline responded, "Look Cher', just calm down and let me explain what's going on."

Nodding his head, Booth moved his hand away from Caroline and folded his arms across his chest. "Go ahead."

Sitting back into her chair, Caroline explained, "Melvin Gallagher was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He only has a few weeks to live. He petitioned the state to allow him be released from prison and they're going to allow it." Seeing disbelief on Booth's face, the AUSA shook her head, "Don't blame me. I was fine letting him die in prison; but, the governor is leaving office and retiring. Gallagher made it on the governor's list of pardons and that's the way it is. I'm telling you about it because I don't want you going anywhere near that man. He's going back to his home in West Virginia to die. You let him."

Scowling, Booth responded, "I was the one who was kidnapped and tortured Caroline. Maybe I should worry about him coming near me."

Shaking her head, the older lady responded, "He's not going to bother with you, Cher'. The man is dying, painfully I might add."

Shaking his head, Booth smiled, "Good."

Squinting her eyes at her favorite agent, Caroline asked, "You understand what I'm telling you? You stay away from him."

Holding up his hands, Booth assured her, "As long as he stays in West Virginia I don't give a damn what he does."

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Arriving at Brennan's apartment that evening, Booth carried a sports bag with some clothes and toiletries in it. Using his key, he let himself into the apartment and placed the bag next to the front door. Walking into the kitchen, Booth found his girlfriend peeling cucumbers.

Placing his arms around her waist, Booth hugged her and asked, "So you need me to do anything?"

Turning and kissing Booth, Brennan smiled, "No, you can change clothes if you want to. You have time."

Nodding his head, Booth moved away from Brennan, "Good idea."

Grabbing his bag from the floor, he carried it to Brennan's bedroom. Noticing two drawers open in her dresser, he found them empty. Placing his jeans, t-shirts and other stuff in the drawers, he sat down on Brennan's bed and looked at the dresser. His mind drifting, he didn't pay attention to time passing until Brennan walked into the room and sat down next to him.

"What's wrong, Booth?"

Startled out of his reverie, Booth turned and placed his arm around Brennan, "Nothing. I guess I was day dreaming."

Puzzled, Brennan stared into his warm eyes, "Are you sure? You looked angry to me."

Smiling, Booth responded, "Nah, what would I have to be mad at? I, uh, I just was thinking about a case I'm working on. It's nothing."

Patting his thigh, Brennan sighed, "You know you can talk to me about anything."

Hugging her, he kissed her cheek, "Yeah, I know that. Thanks."

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_He was trying to remain stoic; but, it was hard. It was so hard. They'd punched him, slapped him, beat him, yanked his hair and kicked him and now they were using a hot screw driver on his leg. They were threatening to use it on his eyes and still he tried to pretend they weren't doing anything to him. He knew that if he gave in and showed fear, if he told them what they wanted to know they would kill him. He knew he had to hold on. She was coming. He knew she wouldn't give up on him just like he hadn't given up on her. She would find him. He just had to hold on. When the screwdriver was laid against his leg he wanted to scream; but, he saw her in his mind smiling at him and telling him to hold on and be brave. He would do that for her and he would do that for his son. He felt faint and the smell of his own burning flesh made him nauseous but he tried to smile and even if it didn't look like a smile, he knew he'd made the effort. _

_Looking up he saw her. She was with her father and they'd found him. Relieved, he saw Gallagher run away and his goon, Lightner try to run the other way. Before Lightner had moved more than a step, he shoved him and he saw the sadist fall on his screwdriver. After shoving the man, he fell to the ground and since he was tied to his chair he couldn't move. His partner, finding him, untied his hands and legs and helped him move away from the chair. Relieved, he smiled at her. Reaching out she'd hugged him only to make him gasp. He had broken ribs._

Breathing raggedly, he woke up to find Brennan watching him. Smiling, he pulled her into his embrace and closed his eyes, "It's just a dream, Bones. It's okay."

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Reviews would be really appreciated. Thank you.


	46. Chapter 46

(After the Beginning in the End)

Thank you for the great reviews. I'm glad you are still interested in my story.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

They'd caught a case and Booth had reluctantly driven over to the Lab to pick Clark Edison up. Calling Brennan, Booth sat in his truck in the Jeffersonian parking garage, "Hey Bones. I caught a case. I'm picking up Clark and Hodgins and we're heading to Charlottesville, Virginia. Someone found a body at Monticello. I wish you were coming with me."

Disappointed, Brennan responded, "Maybe I should have told them I was back in town."

Shaking his head, Booth smiled, "Nah, you deserve a vacation. Clark isn't you but the guy is sharp and he'll get the job done."

Sighing, Brennan agreed, "Yes, he is very good. If you do find that you need my help, you let me know. Do you still have the spare clothes in the trunk of the truck just in case you have to stay overnight?"

Smiling, Booth answered, "Yep. I got to go. I'll either see you tonight or I'll call you. I love you."

Hearing the cheerful voice, Brennan smiled, "I do love you too, Booth."

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Walking into the Lab, Booth walked over to Cam's office. Poking his head in the doorway, Booth waved, "Hey, where's Clark?"

Looking up, Cam smiled, "Hey, Big Guy, he's getting his kit together. He won't be long. Hodgins is ready to go. He's just waiting for you and Clark."

Nodding his head, he stepped into her office and walked over to her desk, "So, how you doing, Cam?"

Smiling, Cam replied, "I see you're still cheerful. Whoever she is, she must be making you happy."

Frowning, Booth shook his head, "Why does my happiness mean I'm with someone? Why can't I be happy on my own?"

Smirking, Cam replied, "Because you alone is not a pretty picture. I don't want to really stick my nose in your business, Booth; but, I thought you loved. . . ."

Interrupting his friend, Booth stood up, "Damn it, Cam. Just let it alone. Please."

Sighing, Cam shook her head, "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Shaking his head, Booth smiled, "I won't. I'm fine. Everything is fine, I promise."

Staring at her friend, Cam responded, "Booth, I worry about you. I want you to be happy and I know you love Dr. Brennan. Just because she went on a year sabbatical doesn't mean you need to give up on her."

Pursing his lips, Booth debated what he should say. Hodgins and Clark walking into Cam's office took the decision away from him. Clapping his hands together, Booth smiled, "Alright, let's go."

Standing, Cam called out to Booth's back, "If you need to talk to someone, Booth, just call me."

Nodding his head, Booth waved his right hand and kept walking. Hodgins and Clark glancing at Cam's worried face turned and followed Booth out to the parking garage.

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Arriving at Monticello, Booth found that the FBI Tech van was already there. Marcus Geier was standing next to the van waiting.

Booth, parking his truck, exited it and walked over to where Marcus was standing, "Hey, what have we got?"

Pointing towards the woods, Geier responded, "I have my guys looking for particulates right now. No one has approached the body. I can show you where it's at."

Nodding his head, Booth waved his hand towards the woods, "Let's go."

Clark and Hodgins, hurrying caught up with Booth and Geier as they entered the woods.

Weaving through the trees, they finally reached a fallen tree located next to several oak and wild cherry trees. Walking towards the end of the rotten tree, Geier pointed, "The log is rotten and mostly hollow. The body is in there."

Walking around the log, Booth knelt and looked inside the hollowed portion of the tree. Nodding his head, Booth turned to Clark, "There isn't enough room for you to get in and look. You want me to just arrange for the log and the body to be transported to the Jeffersonian?"

Squatting next to Booth, Clark studied the body. "Yeah, if we take it to the Jeffersonian, we can take our time opening the log and we can be careful how we get to the body. It's hard to judge from this distance; but, right now I'd guess it's a child. I can't tell you the sex or age until I get a better look."

Standing, Booth turned to Geier. "You heard the man, make arrangements to have the whole thing sent to the Jeffersonian. Where's the person who found the body?"

Pointing to the left, Geier smiled, "Robin Moore found the victim. She was mushroom hunting and I guess she found more than she was looking for."

Turning his head, Booth saw a beautiful red headed woman of about thirty years of age staring at him. Walking over to where Robin was standing, Booth showed her his badge and ID. "I'm Special Agent Booth. I was told you found the body."

Nodding her head, Robin grimly responded, "Yeah, I sort of wish I hadn't; but, I guess it's a good thing I did. I am going to have nightmares for weeks."

Seeing the unhappy look on Robin's face, Booth asked, "Did you touch anything? The tree, the body? Anything?"

Sighing, Robin replied, "I held my hand on the log as I leaned over to get a closer look at the body. That's all."

Nodding his head, Booth pointed at Clark, "Dr. Edison will need to take your fingerprints and a DNA swab just in case."

Handing her a note card and pen, Booth smiled, "Would you write your name, address and phone number. I may need to get in contact with you again."

Nodding her head, she took the card and pen and wrote. "I saw that the body is small. Do you think that means that it's a child?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth responded, "Maybe. We'll have to have a specialist look the body over to determine that."

Sighing, Robin stared at the log, "I work at the Monticello; so, if you need me, you can find me there if I'm not at home."

Taking the card and pen back, Booth smiled, "Sure. You don't have to hang around. If I need you, I'll contact you."

Watching Robin walk away, Booth then turned and saw Hodgins staring at him. "What?"

Smiling, Hodgins glanced at Robin was she walked out of sight, "She's very pretty."

Frowning, Booth asked, "So?"

Shrugging his shoulders, the bug and slime specialist answered, "Just saying."

Glaring, Booth pointed at the ground, "Just do your job, Bug Boy."

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Reviews would really be appreciated. Thanks.


	47. Chapter 47

Thank you for the wonderful reviews.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Cam working on a progress report for the Jeffersonian Board of Regents was startled when her phone rang. Feeling sheepish for letting a ringtone scare her, she picked it and smiled, "Cam Saroyan."

The voice on the other end was firm but polite, "Hello. My name is Russell Bennett. I'm the mission director for the Maluku Project and I was wondering if I might speak with Dr. Temperance Brennan. I've left several messages on her voice mail and I've sent her several emails also. She hasn't responded to any of them. I really do need to speak to her."

Frowning, Cam asked, "I don't understand. Dr. Brennan is in Maluku."

Irritated, Russell responded, "No she isn't. She was here for two weeks then walked into my office, said she had a family emergency and left. I haven't seen or heard from her since. It's been about a week. I need to know if she plans to come back or not."

Slowly shaking her head, Cam stared at her empty doorway, "I don't know what to tell you, Mr. Bennett. I haven't seen or talked to Dr. Brennan since I saw her leave for Maluku."

Sighing, Russell exclaimed, "Fine. I guess I'll just keep trying to call her. I assume she'll answer her phone sooner or later. This is very inconvenient. If she doesn't plan on coming back then I need to make arrangements for someone else to come in and take over her position."

Trying to be helpful, Cam responded, "If I see her, I'll tell her you're looking for her. I don't know what kind of family emergency she had; so, I don't know if I'll see her or not."

Frowning, Cam placed her phone down on her desk and stared at it. Remembering Booth's happy face, the fact that his vacation had been so sudden and without warning, she suddenly placed her hand over her mouth, "Oh my God!"

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Knocking on Booth's apartment door, Cam waited for someone to come to the door. After a few minutes, she knocked again. Frustrated, she called out, "Okay, Dr. Brennan. I know you're in there." Placing her right ear against the door, Cam sighed, "Fine, nothing like playing 'Where's Temperance'."

Leaving Booth's apartment building, Cam drove over to Brennan's apartment building. Walking across the street, she noticed Brennan walking towards her with a few grocery sacks dangling from her hand. Waiting until Brennan was closer, Cam frowned, "I thought you were in Maluku."

Studying her boss, Brennan shrugged her shoulders, "I was. I am no longer."

Irritated, Cam responded, "Russell Bennett called, he's been trying to contact you for several days. He wants to know if you're going back to Maluku."

Walking pass Cam, Brennan answered, "Thank you for letting me know. I haven't checked my email for several days. I'll let him know I won't be returning."

Following Brennan, Cam arrived next to the elevator, "What's going on? He said you had a family emergency and left about a week ago."

The elevator doors opening, Brennan stepped into the car, Cam following. Pushing the fourth floor button, Brennan sighed, "I did have an emergency that I had to take care of. Once that emergency was over I realized that I no longer wanted to be part of a dig for one year. I had planned on contacting Russell next week; but, since he is actively seeking me out, I will contact him this afternoon."

The elevator arriving at the fourth floor, Cam followed the anthropologist to her door, "Are you planning on coming back to the Lab soon?"

Turning, Brennan nodded her head, "Yes, I was going to contact you next week; but, since you're here then I will tell you now. I will be returning next week or perhaps the week after."

Biting her lip, Cam watched Brennan open her apartment door and enter her apartment, "Was Booth your emergency?"

Staring at Cam, Brennan finally stepped back, "Won't you come in?"

Nodding, Cam entered Brennan's apartment and shut the door behind her.

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Unlocking the door to Brennan's apartment, he knew it was late and he didn't want to chance waking up his girlfriend; so, he removed his shoes and placed them by the door.

Walking into the kitchen, he found some cereal and stared at it for a few minutes. Shrugging his shoulders, Booth vowed to go shopping and bring over some things he liked to eat. Cereal was fine for dinner; but, Brennan's idea of cereal and his idea of cereal were at completely different ends of the spectrum. Carrying his bowl of cereal, a spoon and a carton of milk into the dining area, he placed them down and pulled out his phone to check his email. Taking a bite of cereal, Booth checked an email from Cam, "What the hell?"

Glaring at his email, he didn't hear Brennan walk into the room.

Brennan, noticing the anger on Booth's face, walked over to the table and sat down, "What's wrong, Booth?"

Looking up, Booth deleted his email and smiled, "Nothing. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan responded, "I wasn't asleep. I was waiting for you to come home."

Picking up his spoon, Booth pointed at the cereal, "Yummy."

Studying Booth chew, Brennan asked, "Are you being sarcastic?"

Swallowing his bite of cereal, Booth replied, "A little. I'd rather not eat trees; but, it's all I could find."

Ignoring the slander against her cereal, Brennan placed her hand over Booth's left hand, "Cam knows I'm back."

Sighing, Booth nodded his head, "Yeah, I just read an email from her. She wants to see me, tomorrow about your, uh, well, your returning back to the Lab tomorrow. I thought you were going to be on vacation for the rest of this week?"

Gripping Booth's hand, his lover responded, "Apparently Dr. Bennett is in an uproar over my leaving the Maluku dig and Cam is concerned for my reputation. She said she will contact Dr. Brennett and let him know that my emergency has been taken care of and that I will be returning to work at the Jeffersonian. Apparently, I'm too distraught to return to Indonesia and want to remain near my sick loved one."

Puzzled, Booth smiled, "I'm the sick loved one?"

Winking, Brennan replied, "Yes."

Pursing his lips, Booth placed his hand on his forehead, "Hmm, maybe I do need you to stick around just in case I have a relapse."

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Reviews would let me know if you're still interested in my story. Thanks.


	48. Chapter 48

Thank you for your kind reviews.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Arriving at the Jeffersonian, Booth made his way to Cam's office. Stepping into her office, Booth noticed her sitting on her couch looking over a file. "I'm here, what's up?"

Looking up, Cam sighed, "You could have told me what's going on, Booth. I am your friend."

Moving into the office, Booth sat down on the chair next to Cam's desk and looked at Cam. "Yeah, I know you are; but, I just couldn't tell you. I was in shock when Bones came back. I didn't expect her to give up on Maluku like that and when she showed up at my door I just couldn't believe how my luck had changed. I was afraid to admit to myself that she came back to be with me let alone tell anyone else."

Shaking her head, Cam smiled, "It was quite shocking. Still she's been back for days. Someone should have told me. The Mission Director for the Maluku project, Russell Bennett, called me looking for Brennan. He wasn't happy that she said she had a family emergency and then disappeared. He's been trying to contact her for days and he finally contacted me looking for her."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth responded, "Bones takes care of her own business. I try to stay out of her stuff. She told me she wanted to take a week or two of vacation before she came back. You should let her, Cam. She doesn't take enough of her vacation days as it is."

Frowning, the coroner replied, "She needed to come back because of Dr. Bennett. He's very important in the Anthropological field and he could cause Brennan trouble if he thought she'd left her position for any reason other than the family emergency she said it was. As it is, she's going to contact him this morning and let him know she can't come back because of family obligations. I've already called him this morning to let him know that Brennan's partner had a health emergency and Brennan wanted to be here for you."

Scratching his ear, Booth frowned, "Okay, maybe we could have handled the last few days better. Thanks Cam."

Placing her folder on the couch next to her, Cam remarked, "Caroline told me about Melvin Gallagher. Are you alright with that situation?"

Studying Cam, Booth finally remarked, "Yeah, I'm fine. The bastard is dying; so, he won't be around for long."

Staring intently at Booth, Cam asked, "So, you do remember being kidnapped by Gallagher?"

Nodding his head, Booth frowned, "Yeah, I remember. The guy tortured me. He would have killed me if Bones and Max hadn't found me. I owe her and Max my life. That's something that I can never forget. She saved me."

Nodding, Cam sighed, "She had help; but, yes, she was the one that pushed everyone until you were found. Gallagher is going to die at home at least that's what Caroline said."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth remarked, "I don't care about Gallagher Cam."

Smiling, Cam stood up, "Good."

Standing, Booth shook his head, "You worry too much. I'm not psycho. I'm not going to go after the guy. He'll be dead in a few weeks. Why work myself up over him?"

Nodding, Cam answered, "Exactly."

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Walking over to Brennan's office, Booth found his girlfriend on the phone. Waving, he pointed down the hallway towards the exit, "Love you."

Smiling, Brennan waved at him and watched him walk away. Turning back to the phone, Brennan frowned, "Yes, my partner had brain surgery a few months ago and when I took the position for Maluku I thought he would be alright without me. I was wrong. I cannot return to Maluku. I hope that you understand that my partner must come first."

Smiling, Dr. Bennett replied, "Of course, Dr. Brennan. You should have told me that before you left. I would have understood. I will of course invite Dr. Himura to take over your position."

Frowning, Brennan responded, "Dr. Himura is very good in his field."

Busy, Dr. Bennett finished the conversation, "It was nice working with you Dr. Brennan. Perhaps in the future we will have better luck."

Also wanting to end the conversation, Brennan stared at her empty doorway, "Yes. I will send you a formal email resigning my position in a few minutes. Good bye."

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Once the log arrived, it was positioned on the platform. Clark finding that Dr. Brennan had returned from Maluku prematurely now found himself as her assistant again. Practical, Clark found that he didn't mind. He much preferred studying old bones instead of new ones; so, having Brennan back would free up his time and allow him to work on projects he loved to do.

"Welcome back, Dr. Brennan."

Nodding her head, Brennan walked around the log. Glancing at Hodgins, Brennan asked, "Have you determined how you're going to remove the body from the log yet?"

Looking inside of the hollowed out tree, Hodgins replied, "Very carefully." Grinning he looked at Brennan. Seeing the serious look on her face, he smiled, "Yes, I'm going to use a hammer and an adze. It'll be less risky than a power tool."

Staring into the end of the log, Brennan pointed out, "You do seem to have some clearance between the body and the tree. It should allow for some room for the adze."

Cam, having peered into the log remarked, "The victim looks like a child; but, I won't be able to verify that until I can actually get a closer look."

Watching Hodgins study the rotten tree, Brennan remarked, "Dr. Bennett is going to appoint Dr. Himura to the position I vacated."

Nodding her head, Cam responded, "He's pretty good. Not as good as you are; but, I'm sure he'll do a fine job. . . . So did Booth tell you that Melvin Gallagher is being released from prison tomorrow? He's dying of pancreatic cancer and the governor pardoned him so he can die at home."

Frowning, Brennan stared at Cam, "No, he didn't tell me."

Shrugging her shoulders, Cam replied, "Maybe he didn't want to worry you."

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	49. Chapter 49

I'm glad to see that you are still interested in my story.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The log had been carefully removed from around the victim and set aside for Hodgins to study. The small body turned out to be a male child of about ten years of age. Studying the badly decayed corpse, Cam and Brennan agreed that the child was African American and had been murdered.

"Once the flesh is removed, Angela should be able to start working on a facial reconstruction."

Nodding her head, Cam continued to take tissue samples. "I'd say he's been dead for about six days."

Making some notations on a form, Brennan frowned, "Booth says that the woods are fairly dense where the body was found and the log was located near a stand of oak and cherry trees. He said you can't see Monticello from where the log was lying. The evidence points to the victim being carried to the log and placed in it. There wasn't any evidence to prove that the area around the log was the initial crime scene. Booth is sure he was killed somewhere else."

Straightening, Cam shook her head, "I'm afraid there wasn't a lot of flesh for me to work with. The wild life made sure of that."

Nodding, Brennan turned to Wendell, "You may clean the bones. Let me know when you're ready for me to examine them."

Smiling, Wendell responded, "I sure will and welcome back Dr. Brennan."

Removing her gloves, Brennan responded, 'Thank you."

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Getting home before Booth, Brennan fixed a dinner of salad, baked chicken for Booth, baked sweet potatoes for both of them as well as sliced fresh fruit. Setting the table, Brennan heard the front door open.

"Hey Bones, I'm home."

Stepping into the living room, Brennan smiled, "You're just in time for dinner."

Smiling, Booth walked over to where Brennan was standing and placed his arms around her. "Hey, I'm sorry you didn't get that vacation you wanted."

Kissing her lover, Brennan smiled, "That's alright. I'll take one next month. Perhaps you could let Cullen know and we can go somewhere together."

Releasing her, Booth removed his gun and carried it to the gun safe he had installed in Brennan's apartment, "That sounds great. We'll have to talk about where we want to go."

Walking in to the dining area, Booth sat down. "This looks great, Bones. You really are a great cook."

Nodding her head, Brennan sat down next to Booth, "Yes, I know."

Laughing quietly, Booth picked up his glass of tea and drank half, "God I was thirsty."

Staring at Booth, Brennan remarked, "Cam told me that Melvin Gallagher has been pardoned. She said he has pancreatic cancer and he's going to be released to go home and die."

Placing his glass down, Booth reached over and clasped her hand, "Don't worry about that guy. In a week or two he's going to be dead. I don't care if he dies at home."

Concerned, Brennan asked, "Why didn't you tell me about his release when you heard about it?"

Sighing, Booth looked away. Staring at the kitchen doorway, Booth shrugged his shoulders, "I didn't want you to worry about it. The guy is sick. He shouldn't be a threat to anyone."

Shaking her head, Brennan frowned, "I'm not worried about Melvin Gallagher. I'm worried about how you feel about it. The man and his employee tortured you. They almost killed you. His parole is a slap in your face and the entire justice system. He was given a life sentence which means he should be forced to die in prison. His sentence didn't say life unless he gets sick."

Sighing, Booth returned his gaze upon his partner, "Bones, it's alright. It's just politics. The governor is retiring, some sob sister cries on the governors' shoulder about the poor man in prison dying away from his family and then governor is suckered into signing his release. It happens all of the time. There isn't anything special about it and it didn't have anything to do with me or you."

Cautious, Brennan asked, "Do you remember being kidnapped and tortured or did you read about in the case file?"

Releasing her hand, Booth picked up his fork, "Not really great dinner conversation Bones."

Staring at Booth, Brennan asked, "Do you remember?"

Twirling his fork in his hand, Booth responded quietly, "I remember. I remember every bit of it."

Watching the fork twirl, Brennan sighed, "I'm sorry Booth. This isn't justice."

Placing his fork down, Booth moved his plate away, "No it isn't."

Moving his plate back in front of him, Brennan frowned, "You have to eat, Booth. You tell me I'm not supposed to skip meals, well you aren't supposed to either."

Staring at his plate, Booth nodded his head and picked up his fork, "It is what it is Bones. I'm fine with it."

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_Lying on the cement floor, his sweat soaked body ached from lying in one position for hours. Hearing the door open, he moved his head and saw the bearded man saunter into the room. Walking over to where he lay, the man sneered, "Are you ready to talk to me now?"_

_Staring at the man's cold eyes, he remained silent. Silence was his friend and he knew it. He was certain that if he told what he knew then he would be killed. It's how the game was played and he knew it._

_Angry the man grabbed him by his hair and spit in his face, "You will talk to me now or you will talk to me later; but, you will talk to me."_

_Chuckling, he smiled at the angry man. He'd been hurt worse. So far this couldn't be compared to his father in a rage. Now that brought real pain._

_Infuriated, the bearded man screamed out for someone else to come into the room. The new man, entering the room came over and held him down while the older enraged man pulled a baton from his belt. Holding it up for him to see the cold eyed man roughly removed his shoes and then started beating the bottom of his feet with the baton. Crying out, he felt the bones in his feet break. Sobbing in pain, he vowed that he would die before he would tell the Republican Guard anything._

Feeling arms wrap around him, he awoke sobbing. His eyes coming into focus, Booth saw the concerned look on Brennan's face. Using his left hand, he wiped the tears from his face, "Bones, I'm sorry. It was just a bad dream. I didn't mean to wake you."

Placing her head on his chest, Brennan sighed, "I wish you didn't have so much pain, Booth. I'm sorry that Gallagher's release made you remember the pain."

Nodding his head, Booth reached up and placed his right arm around Brennan, "No, that's okay. It was just a bad dream. I'm alright."

Shaking her head, Brennan placed her hand on his stomach, "I'm here Booth. I'm not going anywhere. You aren't alone."

Placing his free hand over hers, Booth smiled sadly, "I know."

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	50. Chapter 50

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I don't own Bones.

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Sitting in Brennan's office, Angela flipped through one of Brennan's periodicals. Brennan, arriving in her office, noticed her friend and stopped in the doorway, "Angela, I don't have the skull ready for you yet. It will probably be tomorrow morning before Wendell has it ready. He has to leave early today to take his mother to a doctor's appointment and I told him that it would be alright."

Shrugging her shoulders, the artist looked at her friend, "We haven't had a chance to have any girl talk since you came back, Bren. I thought we could do that now. "

Sitting down, Brennan tapped the space bar on her keyboard to wake up her PC. "I'm busy, Angela. I have a report I need to finish for Cam before I can go home."

Shaking her head, Angela responded, "You're not so busy that you can't talk to me for a few minutes. Why did you come back from Maluku so soon? You were only gone for three weeks. You were supposed to be gone for a year."

Staring at Angela, Brennan corrected her, "I was only gone for two weeks. I've been back for one week, well, eight days to be precise."

Surprised, Angela stared at her friend, "You've been back for one week and you didn't tell me? Why did you come back? I thought that Maluku dig was supposed to be the find of the century. God knows you were excited about it before you left."

Making a decision, Brennan nodded her head, "It is a very important find; but, I couldn't stay away from Booth for a year. He's been through so much and he's actually still recovering from his brain surgery. That isn't something that you recover from in just a few weeks. Once I was in Maluku I realized that he needed me to be here for him and so I returned."

Admiration clearly written on her face, Angela smiled, "You are such a great friend, Brennan. I mean I don't know of many people that would give up something that important for a friend. . . He is just a friend isn't he?"

Hesitating, Brennan smiled, "He's more than a friend, Angela. We've come to an understanding. Our relationship is more than a partnership now. We've decided to enter into a monogamous relationship. We started it eight days ago when I arrived back in the D.C. area."

Placing her hand over her mouth, Angela felt a tear slide down her face, "Oh, Honey, this is wonderful news. I've wanted you two to get together for so long. I am so happy for you and him. I really mean that."

Glancing at the empty doorway, Brennan returned her gaze upon her friend, "Do you remember the conversation we had in Bones Storage several weeks ago? You told me that Booth loved me and that I needed to observe how he looked at me when we were together?"

Nodding her head, the artist frowned, "Yeah that was right before the Taffet's trial."

Grimacing, the anthropologist folded her arms and leaned against her desk, "Yes. The next time I was with Booth, I studied his face and body language when he was talking to me and I realized that what you had told me was the truth. All those times he had told me he loved me he actually meant it. It wasn't a friend saying that to a friend, he really did love me. . . It frightened me. I've been afraid of that emotion that we call love for a long time. I'd convinced myself that it was merely chemicals that influence how our brain functions. I really couldn't allow myself to believe that love was real."

Curious, Angela leaned forward, "What made you change your mind?"

Chuckling, Brennan replied, "Booth. He's been my friend and partner for a long time. He's been a friend when I needed it, when things were bad not just when they were good. He's never pushed me to conform to the general rules that society dictates. He's allowed me to be me and that's rare Angela. He accepts me as I am and yes, he loves me. I don't know how long Booth's loved me; but, I can say he started to be more open in his displays of affection after his surgery. At first I put it down to his memory loss and that he was just grateful that I was helping him to recovery his memories. I thought once he was better that our relationship would go back to the way it was before his surgery; but, after a lot of his memories had returned his affection seemed to deepen not lessen. He told me he loved me all of the time and he found ways for us to go on dates. He made up excuses why I needed to be his date; but, really I knew what he was doing. I just didn't know what to do about it. Then you forced me to really look at Booth and I saw that he really was in love with me. It wasn't gratitude or infatuation. He was in love with me and that frightened me. I didn't want to fall in love with Booth. I didn't want to risk my future happiness on something so ephemeral."

Licking her bottom lip, Brennan sighed, "I accepted the position with the Maluku dig to escape Booth. I didn't want to be in love with him. I didn't want to see him try to have a relationship with me and then discover who I really am and leave me."

Sad, Angela shook her head, "Honey, he knows who you are. We all know who you are."

Nodding her head, Brennan frowned, "Yes, once I was in Maluku, I decided that my fear of love was more harmful that helpful. I was trying to compare my parents to Booth. They ran away from me, abandoned me when I was fifteen; but, I realized that Booth would never do that to me. That isn't who he is. I needed to give us a chance and that meant that I needed to come back. Booth was here, by himself and it wasn't fair to him. He'd done everything he could to show me he loved me and I knew it was up to me to move our relationship forward; so, I returned."

Nodding her head, Angela asked, "What are you going to do about the non-fraternization rule the FBI has?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "I don't know. Right now, you and Cam are the only ones that know about our relationship. I'd like you to keep quiet about it for now. At least until Booth and I decide what to do about the FBI."

Slowly nodding her head, Angela frowned, "Alright. I'll keep quiet until you tell me that I can say something." Suddenly smiling, the artist laughed, "I am so happy for you two, Honey. You two were made for each other."

Smiling, Brennan responded, "Thank you. I think we are very compatible."

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	51. Chapter 51

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Watching a ball game on TV, Booth glanced at Brennan while she typed on her laptop, "Hey, are you still working on your new book?"

Looking up, Brennan frowned, "Yes, my editor wants a first draft as soon as possible."

Leaning over and placing his hand on her knee, Booth squeezed it, "Don't let your editor push you too hard. I mean you were supposed to be in Maluku right now so if you're working on a story now he should consider it lagniappe."

Smiling, Brennan responded, "Lagniappe?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth released her knee and picked up his beer from the coffee table, "Caroline is a bad influence on me Cher'".

Continuing to type, Brennan noticed him turn his attention back to the ball game, "I told Angela about us, Booth."

Picking up the remote and turning down the volume on the TV, Booth turned and looked at Brennan, "Why'd you tell her? The world will know about us by tomorrow morning."

Shaking her head, Brennan saved her file and closed her lap top. Placing it on the coffee table, she responded, "She'll keep our secret Booth. I asked her to and she is trustworthy."

Staring at his girlfriend, Booth asked, "I thought you wanted to wait awhile before we told anyone."

Biting her lower lip, Brennan explained, "Besides you, Angela is my best friend. She was the one who pushed me to recognize that you loved me and she forced me to consider how I felt about you. I think she deserves to know that we are in a monogamous relationship."

Nodding his head, Booth stood up and then sat down closer to her, "She's pretty good at figuring out stuff like that. She'd make a very good detective if she ever wanted to change fields."

Shaking her head, Brennan frowned, "She's happy as an artist. Sometimes I do think she would like to quit working at the Jeffersonian. I'm not really sure why she hasn't."

Placing his arm around Brennan, Booth remarked, "You'd miss her; so, I'm glad she hasn't."

Leaning against Booth, she sighed, "Yes, I would miss her."

Kissing her, Booth asked, "So you don't think she'll tell Hodgins?"

Looking into his worried eyes, Brennan responded, "No, she knows that we want to wait before we tell the FBI about our relationship. She'll keep our secret."

Smiling, Booth leaned down and kiss her again. "I think Bug Boy was trying to set me up."

Frowning, Brennan straightened up and looked into Booth's amused face, "What do you mean?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth responded, "Robin Moore, the woman that found the child in the hollow log, is pretty and Hodgins made sure he pointed that out to me. I think he was trying to get me interested in her."

Grimly, Brennan glared at Booth, "You're not on the market anymore."

Laughing, Booth pulled her into his arms, "Yeah, but Hodgins doesn't know that. He thinks I'm available and the guy was trying to be my wing man."

Not amused, his irritated girlfriend responded, "Maybe we should reconsider how long we plan to keep this a secret. I wouldn't want you to be put in uncomfortable situations."

Amused, Booth placed his hand on the side of her face and stared into her blue eyes, "No, we wouldn't want that to happen."

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Glumly, Sweets walked into Booth's office. Seeing the Agent on the phone, the psychologist moved over to the chair next to Booth's desk and sat down. Staring at Booth, Sweets sighed.

Irritated, Booth finished his phone call and then placed his phone on a pile of reports sitting in front of him. "You know, I thought the IT department said we were going to be a paperless office by now. They lied."

Not amused, Sweets sighed again. "Why didn't Daisy come back with Dr. Brennan?"

Leaning back in his chair, Booth frowned, "Bones had a family emergency to take care of. Daisy has a job to do in Maluku and Brennan's problem didn't have anything to do with Daisy."

Nodding his head, Sweets crossed his legs and smoothed his pant leg, "So I guess Daisy is going to stay the year at the dig even though Dr. Brennan isn't going back?"

Rubbing the side of his nose, Booth answered, "Yeah, probably."

Sighing for a third time, Sweets frowned, "I don't understand, if Dr. Brennan's emergency is over then why stay here? Why not go back to Maluku?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth responded, "She told me that her family member might need her so she's staying. She doesn't think it would be right to be away from him for a year. I agree with her. She needs to stay. You never know when the guy might have a relapse or something."

Frowning, Sweets clasped his hands together, "So, it's probably her father. What's wrong with him?"

Shaking his head, Booth smiled, "Na uh, I didn't mention her father was the one with the emergency. It really isn't any of your business, Sweets. You know she doesn't like people sticking their nose in her private business. You've been told all you need to know so you better leave it alone."

Folding his arms across his chest, Sweets responded, "I consider her my friend. If she needs help then I want to be there for her."

Shaking his head again, Booth insisted, "She doesn't need your help. The emergency is over. You really need to leave it alone. It's not her fault that Daisy is in Maluku and I don't want you taking your frustrations out on Bones. She doesn't need the aggravation."

Glaring, Sweets stood up, "I'm not blaming Dr. Brennan for Daisy being in Maluku. I'm just concerned about Dr. Brennan and if her father is having trouble with anything then I think I should be able to offer my help if she needs it."

Leaning forward, Booth responded, "Look, you're jumping to conclusions without all of the facts. She doesn't need your help and neither does Max. Trust me, everything is okay."

Shaking his head, Sweets responded, "If everything was okay, Dr. Brennan would be back in Maluku now."

Angry, Booth placed his hands on the top of his desk, "I'm telling you to leave Bones alone. She doesn't need your help, damn it. I need you to listen to me."

Shrugging his shoulders, Sweets stared at the angry agent, "I'm listening. It's just that your story is not making any sense to me." Turning, Sweets left the office.

Exhaling deeply, Booth shook his head.

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Reviews would be great. Thanks.

FFN Notifications has not worked since Friday night. I updated "Daddy's Handbook" and "Once Yours" on Saturday and "It Sounds Like the Ocean" on Sunday.

A/N: Cajun French: Lagniappe – a baker's dozen, something extra special.


	52. Chapter 52

Thank you for your continued interest in my story.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Standing in the hallway, looking through the glass wall, Sweets noticed Brennan talking on the phone. Waiting for her to finish, Sweets tried to study her face and body language. As far as he could tell, she was relaxed and calm. Leaving her office, Angela spied the young psychologist standing several feet from Brennan's office.

Curious, Angela walked over to where he was standing, "Hey, Sweets. What brings you here?"

Turning his gaze upon the artist, Sweets smiled, "Well, actually I'm here to talk to Dr. Brennan."

Worried, Angela glanced at Brennan and then Sweets, "Is something wrong?"

Shaking his head, Sweets replied, "No, not really, at least I don't think so. I was curious as to why Dr. Brennan came back from Maluku and hasn't returned since; so, I mentioned it to Booth and he told me that Dr. Brennan had a family emergency and she had to come back and now she's decided to stay just in case her family member has a relapse. I want to check on her and make sure that she's okay and see if I can be of help. I assume the family member is her father; so, I'd like to help him too if he'd allow it."

Sighing, Angela responded, "Dr. Sweets, I think this is one time where you really need to mind your own business. If you meddle where you shouldn't you're going to end up making quite a few people very angry."

Puzzled, Sweets turned to face Angela, "What's going on, Angela? Booth tried to warn me off and now you're doing the same thing. I only want to offer my services if Dr. Brennan needs it and by extension her father if he needs it."

Shaking her head, Angela grabbed Sweets arm and pulled him towards her office, "Let's go into my office where we can have some privacy."

Curious, Sweets allowed Angela to pull him down the hall and through her doorway. Finally stopping, Angela released the young man's arm and crossed her arms, "Okay, look, she didn't come back to the states because of her father. It was someone else and you need to butt out. This is a private matter and the people involved will go ballistic if you don't mind your own business."

Crossing his arms, Sweets mirrored Angela's body language, "First Booth and now you. I am a trained psychologist. I can help her if she needs help. Obviously the situation must be serious if Dr. Brennan is not returning to Maluku. Daisy must have told me a hundred times that the Maluku project is the dig of the century. According to Daisy, everyone attached to the dig could end up in history books. There is no way Dr. Brennan walked away from something like that unless it was very serious. . . I want to help. I need to help her; so, please let me do my job."

Irritated, Angela shook her head, "God, Sweets, you make so mad. Could you be more stubborn if you tried? Booth was the emergency, alright? It was Booth. You know Brennan has been helping him since he had brain surgery and . . ."

Turning pale, Sweets interrupted Angela, "Oh God, does Booth have another brain tumor? Is that what the emergency was about?"

Frustrated, Angela grabbed Sweets jacket lapels, "Damn it, Sweets, listen to me and stop jumping to conclusions. What's the matter with you? . . No, Booth doesn't have another brain tumor. He's recovering from the one he had. What do you think happens in situations like that? Do you think you can recover from something like that in six weeks? You should know better than that. It's only been a year. He's still on anti-depression medicine and some other crap that he'll probably have to take for quite awhile. I shouldn't have to be telling you any of this. The man had severe memory loss and it's been a battle to gets some of those memories back. Once Brennan got to Maluku she realized that she had deserted her best friend in his hour of need and she came back. Get it. She wants to continue to help Booth and she can't do that if she's half way around the world."

Releasing his jacket lapels, Angela poked Sweets in the chest, "You leave Brennan and Booth the hell alone. They don't need and they don't want your help."

Moving his arms to his sides, Sweets glared at Angela, "I am just as much their friend as you are. I know that Booth has memory problems; but, they don't affect his job and they don't seem to affect his relationships with his family and friends. I know about the drugs he takes because I'm still technically his psychologist. I just don't see why Dr. Brennan went to Maluku and then came back. What made her think he was fine enough to leave him alone and then not well enough to leave him here alone? What happened?"

Grinding her teeth, Angela thought quickly, "She'd only been gone for two weeks when she received a letter from him and she realized that he was very depressed. It frightened her, okay? She had to come back and make sure he was okay. The minute she was back it was like a light switch was flipped in his head and he was happy. So, you see, she had to stay."

Nodding his head, Sweets rubbed his jaw, "Yeah, I knew he was depressed when she left. I even had his depression medicine changed seeing if that was the problem; but, it didn't help. Since Dr. Brennan came back I did notice that Booth's been in a hell of a good mood. Maybe Dr. Brennan is right. Maybe she is the key to his full recovery. Still, I hate to think she's throwing away an opportunity of a life time because she feels that she has be Booth's nurse."

Shaking her head, Angela responded, "Brennan isn't Booth's nurse. She's his best friend. She's done a lot for him this past year and she'll continue to do it if it will help him make a complete recovery. I'm asking you, please stay out of it. They're handling it their way and it works for them."

Placing his right hand in his pocket and jiggling some change, Sweets remarked, "You know that's a lot of stress for Dr. Brennan to deal with. They're just friends and yet she's made it her mission to help him and she's given up a lot to do it. Maybe I should offer her my support."

Glaring at Sweets, Angela replied, "Do you have a one track mind or something? I told you to leave them alone."

Shaking his head, Sweets frowned, "I would be remiss in my professional duties if I didn't offer Dr. Brennan some kind of help. I should at least make the offer."

Walking over to her desk, Angela sat down on the chair next to it and stared at Sweets, "You don't take rejection very well do you?"

Smiling, Sweets replied, "No, I don't."

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	53. Chapter 53

Thank you for reviewing my story. It is the only way I can tell if anyone is still interested in this story.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Leaving Angela's office, Sweets walked back over to Brennan's office. Seeing that she was no longer on the phone, he entered the room and smiled, "Hey, Dr. Brennan. I thought I'd come by and have a little chat with you."

Glancing up from her PC, Brennan shook her head, "I'm quite busy, Dr. Sweets. Perhaps you could drop by some other time for a chat."

Not to be deterred, Sweets shook his head, "Perhaps chat wasn't the right word. I would like to talk to you about your mental health. You've been under enormous strain for a year now and I'd like to offer my help if you need it."

Shaking her head, Brennan frowned, "My mental help is fine. I don't need any help."

Sitting on the chair in front of her desk, Sweets frowned, "Your best friend and partner had brain surgery, he suffered partial amnesia, you've been involved in his recovery since he was diagnosed and operated on. Because of you, he's recovered well enough to do his job and that alone was no small feat. I worry that you're taking on too much of his burden with no relief in sight. You had an opportunity to go to Maluku to work on something you enjoy and you gave it up after two weeks. I think you need to reconsider your staying here and return to Maluku. Booth is almost recovered from his ordeal and I think he relies upon you too much. I feel it would better for you and him if you separated yourself from him for awhile and did something that gave you joy, that made you happy."

Frowning, Brennan placed her hands on the arms of her chair and stared at Sweets, "You're advocating that I desert Booth knowing that he is not fully recovered and still has bouts of depression? You really would like me to have fun while my partner is miserable and unhappy?"

Licking his bottom lip, Sweet sighed, "Dr. Brennan you need to consider your own wellness and happiness. Booth is just your partner. You two have made that quite clear since I've known you. Agent Booth has family that he should be able to rely upon to help him when he's suffering from depression. It isn't your responsibility to make sure that he's happy all of the time. You need to consider your own mental health. I think the Maluku dig was just what you needed and I think it's a mistake to give it up."

Standing, Brennan leaned on her desk, "You are not my psychologist, Dr. Sweets. You think you know me; but, the truth is you do not. You don't know what makes me happy and what doesn't. You just think you do. It is true that Booth does have family; but, the only one that he can rely upon is his grandfather who is an octogenarian. You don't want me to be under stress but you think nothing of putting a man in his 80's under undue stress. I find your logic to be quite appalling. . . . Booth is my friend and my partner. I would do anything for him as he would for me. It is not a burden to care for him and to help him when he needs it. What would be stressful would be to on the other side of the planet and not able to keep an eye on his well being. I advise you to keep your advice to yourself. I don't need it or want it. Now, I am working on a murder investigation and I don't have time for your psycho babble."

Walking around her desk, Brennan stopped and stared at the psychologist, "You underestimate how well Booth is doing. He isn't helpless. Much of his memory has returned, he does his job well and his supervisors can't fault him for the way he does his job. If anything, I believe since he's had the tumor removed he is more tolerant and happier than he was before the surgery. His bouts with depression are usually short lived and they are not occurring as often as they were. I think you need to leave Booth and me alone. We don't need your help. We are not asking you for your help. Now I have a skeleton to examine."

Watching her leave the room Sweets frowned.

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Entering the defleshing room, Brennan found Wendell sorting the bones of the victim onto trays. "Dr. Brennan, I'm ready to give the skull to Angela. The bones are clean and I'm getting ready to move them to an examination room . . . I want to thank you for letting me take my mother to the doctor's office. She's been having trouble controlling her blood pressure lately and I was worried about the stress on her kidneys. The new medicine seems to be helping her and her blood pressure was within normal specs. Her doctor said her kidneys seem to be fine so far; so, that's really a load off of my mind."

Nodding her head, Brennan replied, "It is important that you monitor your mother's health. You are a good son, Wendell."

Surprised, Wendell stared at his mentor. "Uh, thanks." Lifting the bone filled tray from the table, he carried it from the room to the examination room down the hallway.

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Staring at the skull of the child, Angela studied the markers that Brennan thought she should use for the reconstruction. Biting her bottom lip, Angela sighed and placed her hands in her lap.

Hodgins, entering the office, found his wife sitting in a chair and staring at her hands. Kissing her cheek, he asked, "Hey, Babe, what's wrong?"

Not looking at her husband, Angela replied, "I did something I shouldn't have and when Brennan finds out, I'm pretty sure she's going to be furious. It was a stupid thing to do; but, I just . . . It was stupid and I should have known better."

Concerned, Hodgins placed his hands on her arms and pulled her up and into his arms, "Ange, I know you, if you did something you shouldn't have you did it for a very good reason."

Moving her arms around her man, Angela moaned, "Oh Jack, it doesn't matter if I had a good reason. Brennan told me something that she wants to keep secret. I promised that I would and really it still is a secret; but, I. . . I butted in to something and now her secret may be discovered and it will be all because of me. I feel so terrible about it and Bo . . . and someone else is going to be so upset with me too. This is just not going to end well, I can see it now. They're going to hate me . . ."

Interrupting her, Hodgins hugged Angela, "Babe, come on, calm down. Did you break your promise?"

Shaking her head, Angela replied, "I guess not, not really."

Nodding his head, Hodgins rubbed her back, "Okay, so you said something to someone that might make them suspicious about a secret that Dr. B has?"

Rubbing her right hand up and down Hodgins back, Angela responded, "I don't know. That's the part I don't know. I gave out some personal information and it might. . . I don't know. I . . ."

Pulling Angela away from him so he could look into her eyes, Hodgins advised, "Look, if you're really worried about what you did, go talk to Dr. B. and tell her what you did and why you did it. If you did do something wrong you should at least warn Dr. Brennan and Booth. That way they can put up some kind of defense for whatever secret they want to keep."

Sniffling, Angela remarked, "I didn't mention Booth's name."

Laughing, Hodgins shook his head, "Yeah, right."

Frowning, Angela asked, "Don't you want to know what the secret is?"

Shaking his head, her husband smiled, "Nope, I'm staying out of it."

Smiling, Angela leaned over and kissed him, "Smart man."

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	54. Chapter 54

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I don't own Bones.

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Watching Brennan, Angela observed her pick up a bone and peer at it closely, running her gloved fingers over the bone from one end to the other. Placing the bone down on the table, Brennan turned and looked at her friend, "What do you need Angela?"

Hearing the gruffness in her friend's voice, Angela hunched her shoulders, walked into the room and closed the door behind her. "I need to talk to you Brennan."

Crossing her arms, Brennan asked, "I'm busy, Angela. Booth needs the cause of death and so far Cam and I have been unable to determine what it was."

Nodding her head, the artist stepped further into the room and explained, "Earlier today, I saw Sweets standing outside of your office and I found out he was going to bother you about the reason you came back to D.C. He'd talked to Booth earlier and he'd told Sweets that you'd come back because of a family emergency. Booth refused to tell him anything else and I guess Sweets jumped to the conclusion that it involved your father. Booth tried to get him to back off; but, you know how our psychologist is, he still wanted to talk to you. I didn't want him to bother you; so, I told him that Max wasn't having any problems and you'd come back because of Booth."

Holding up her hand, Angela tried to stall Brennan from interrupting her, "Yes, I know, I really shouldn't have done that; but, I thought if he knew that you just wanted to come back and make sure that Booth was okay that he'd leave you alone; but, that just seemed to make him more determined to talk to you. I didn't tell him about your new relationship with Booth; but, I did tell him the reason you came back from Maluku was because of Booth. I am so sorry. I know he bothered you even though I told him not to. I hope he didn't figure out about you and Booth."

Sighing, Brennan shook her head, "No, he still doesn't know that Booth and I are in a personal relationship. The fact is, he thinks that Booth relies upon me too much and he wants me to go back to Maluku."

Shocked, Angela shook her head, "You're not going to listen to him are you? I mean you aren't going to back to Maluku are you?"

Shaking her head, Brennan frowned, "Of course not. That wouldn't be fair to Booth. I'm staying here."

Relieved, Angela ground her teeth, "He makes me so mad."

Startled, Brennan asked, "You're angry with Booth, why?"

Shaking her head, Angela protested, "No, no, of course not. Why would I be angry at Booth? No, I'm angry at Sweets. He is so obsessed with you and Booth. For some reason, he thinks he has the right to just butt in to your affairs and that just makes me so angry."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan responded, "He's interfered quite a lot in my relationship with Booth; but, we've both learned to ignore him when we need to. Don't worry about Sweets, Angela. You didn't tell him about my relationship with Booth and that's the important thing."

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That evening, as they were cleaning up the kitchen and dining room, Brennan stopped wiping the counter tops and stared at Booth. Watching him wiping the dining room table, she bit her lower lip and stepped closer to where he was, "Booth did Sweets talk to you earlier today?"

Looking up, Booth frowned, "Yeah, he wanted to know why you'd come back from Maluku and why you weren't going back. I tried to tell him to butt out; but, he's not going to."

Holding the damp cloth in her hand, Brennan stared it as she continued, "He came by my office and wanted to talk to me. He tried to talk me into going back to Maluku. He told me that you rely on me too much and that I'm giving up on something I enjoy because of you."

Not hearing anything, Brennan looked up to see Booth's tense body turned away from her. Clearing his throat, he finally responded, "Do you think I rely on you too much?"

Angry, Brennan placed the cloth down on the counter top and walked over to where Booth was standing. "No, I don't believe that at all. I came back because I love you and you love me. I wanted to start a relationship with you and I couldn't do it thousands of miles away. I'm here because I love you and I want to be with you. Sweets claims I'm under a lot of stress because of you but the fact is I was under worse stress the two weeks I was in Maluku. He thinks he understands me; but, he doesn't understand me at all."

Sitting down with his back turned towards her, Booth rubbed the table in front of him, "You know that dig is really important. I mean you even told me it might be the discovery of the century. Maybe you should go back. I'd be okay with it. I wouldn't want to keep you from something that made you happy Bones. I'd be fine. We could just . . . we could start our relationship when you got back."

Walking around Booth, she knelt down next to him and stared into his sad face, "You make me happy Booth. That dig is important; but, it isn't as important as you are to me. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here."

Looking at her, Booth licked his bottom lip, "Are you sure because you know I'm fine. Really. You could go on the dig and make history and I'd be right here waiting for you."

Placing her arms around his neck, she shook her head, "You aren't getting rid me Booth. It's too late. We're in a relationship and that means that you and I cannot run away from each other. Neither one of us may leave. I'm not going back to Maluku and that's final. Sweets is interfering in our personal business and I'm not sure how to make him stop; but, you are going to have to ignore the things he says about you and me. He doesn't understand us, he just thinks he does. Most of the time he just spouts meaningless psycho dribble and you need to accept that. You don't rely on me too much. You are not keeping me from something I want to do. You know me, if I really want to do something I will do it. I don't want to be in Maluku so I'm not. That should speak volumes to you. I want you to ignore Sweets when he starts talking about me or us. I do and I want you to do the same. I'm happy Booth. I'm happy right now."

Smiling, Booth moved his arms around his lover. Holding her tightly, he sighed, "I love you Temperance. I love you and I want you to be happy."

Hugging him just as tightly, Brennan smiled, "I am happy. I'm happier now than I've ever been."

Holding her in his arms, Booth rubbed her back with is right hand, "You know, I think Sweets is angry that Daisy is still in Maluku. He doesn't understand why Daisy stayed when you came back and I think he's jealous that you're here for me and she isn't here for him."

Thinking it over, Brennan murmured, "I think you're right. All the more reason to be wary of Sweets and his advice."

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	55. Chapter 55

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I don't own Bones.

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Caroline was sitting in her office, something that was rare for her lately. Going over her email and trying to wade through what was important and deleting what wasn't she was soon interrupted by someone clearing his throat. "Go away Cher'. I'm busy. Make an appointment with my secretary."

Stepping into the room, Booth closed the door behind him, "Caroline, I need to talk to you and I don't think it can wait."

Looking up, Caroline instantly went on guard, 'What'd you do Cher'? Shoot some more speakers or did you just shoot a musician this time for the hell of it?"

Frowning, Booth shook his head, "What?"

Rolling her eyes, Caroline responded, "Never mind. You obviously don't remember. It's hard to joke with you anymore when I don't know what you remember and what you don't."

Puzzled, Booth asked, "Did I shoot a musician?"

Shaking her head, Caroline answered, "No; but you did shoot some speakers once. You didn't like their music."

Frowning, Booth shook his head, "I remember shooting a clown's head; but, I don't remember speakers."

Sighing, Caroline stared at the confused man, "Never mind. What do you want? I really am busy."

Sitting on the chair across from her desk, Booth put his hands on his knees, "Bones and I talked it over last night and we've decided that we need to announce that we're in a personal relationship right now. We were going to wait for a few more weeks before we told anyone; but, well, someone is sticking his nose in our business and Bones is pissed."

Frowning Caroline stared at the agent, "Who's pissing off Dr. Brennan?"

Rubbing his knees, Booth replied, "Sweets. He's been trying to talk Bones into going back to Maluku and neither one us is happy with his interference in our lives. We just started our relationship a couple of weeks ago and well, we need to let the FBI know about it. We're hoping that once our relationship is known that Sweets will back off."

Shaking her head, Caroline asked, "I don't understand. Why is Dr. Sweets trying to talk Dr. Brennan into going back to the Maluku islands? Why is that any of his business?"

Sighing, Booth explained, "When Bones went to Maluku, Daisy Wick went with her. She's one of Bones' interns and Sweets' girlfriend. When Bones got to Maluku she thought about us and decided to come back. She wanted to start a relationship with me and she didn't want to wait a year to do it. Well, she came back; but, Daisy stayed and I think that in a way, deep down, Sweets is jealous that my partner came back and his girlfriend didn't. He's really pissing off Bones with his unwanted advice and the truth be told I'm kind of pissed myself. We want him to back off and we figure if he knows we're in a relationship then he'll see that Bones going back to Maluku is not an option. Maybe then he can work out his own problems with his girlfriend and leave us the hell alone."

Rubbing her forehead, Caroline shook her head, "You do remember that there is a non-fraternization rule, don't you? I mean, I know your memory is holey; but, you do remember that one don't you?"

Nodding his head, Booth smiled, "Oh yeah, I remember it; but, I don't think it applies to Bones and me."

Curious, the attorney asked, "Now why would that be? Do you two think that the FBI can't get along without you because I hate to break it to you, Cher', no one is that indispensable, including me."

Shaking his head, Booth guffawed, "No. No, the reason that we don't think it applies is because Bones is an employee of the Jeffersonian Institute. That's who signs her payroll check. It's true she has a contract with the FBI; but, it's as an independent consultant. The FBI sends the money to the Jeffersonian and the Jeffersonian payroll department includes the gratuity from the FBI into her payroll check. At no time does the FBI actually pay her. She isn't a FBI employee."

Frowning, Caroline sighed, "What happens if the FBI decides she is an employee?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth smiled, "Then Bones will sever her contract with the FBI. She has the right to do it if she decides to teach more and stop going into the field as a consultant. Bones' lawyer wanted her to have an out if she needed it."

Staring at the smug agent, Caroline asked, "What if we're fine with that?"

Shrugging his shoulders again, Booth folded his arms across his chest, "We talked it over and we're both fine with that if that's the way the FBI wants to play it. My job title really doesn't include going out into the field and solving murders you know. It's supposed to be a supervisory position. If Bones stops working for the FBI and starts back to teaching then that's the way it'll be. I'll also stop going into the field and stick to supervising. If you really want to lose Bones and my expertise in the field then we can live with that."

Leaning back against her chair, the attorney clasped her hands together, "Got this all worked out don't you?"

Smiling, Booth replied, "Yep."

Nodding her head, Caroline pointed to the door, "Okay, you gave me your news. I'll set up some appointments with the Deputy Director and the Director and see how they want to handle it. Don't be surprised if they play hardball."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth stood up, "It's hard to play hardball without the ball."

Watching him leave her office, Caroline reached for phone, "Well, Cher'. I told you that it wouldn't be long and I was right. Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan are an item."

Expelling his breath, Deputy Cullen responded, "Well, it's not like we didn't know this was going to happen. How do they plan to get around of the non-fraternization rule?"

Glancing at her monitor to see that she had six new emails, Caroline smiled, "Apparently Dr. Brennan isn't an FBI employee. Also just to give you a heads up, if we decided to let the good doctor get away from us, Booth is going to play hardball with us. He reminded me that his job title is supervisory and that murder investigations are not done with his pay grade. If we break them up, not only do we lose Dr. Brennan's expertise, we also lose a fine field investigator."

Rubbing his head, Cullen responded, "Damn. I told you Booth would find a way to make us roll over."

Laughing, Caroline responded, "Cher', you didn't tell me anything I didn't already know."

Curious, Cullen asked, "Why are they telling us about their relationship? Why risk it? Why not just do it and not tell anyone?"

Frowning, Caroline answered, "They have a pest that's bothering them and they think if they tell us about their being in a relationship then the pest will leave them alone."

Shifting his phone to his other ear, Cullen asked, "Who the hell is bugging them?"

Absently watching her email count grow again, Caroline responded, "Dr. Sweets. I think you and I need to have a meeting sometime today."

Nodding his head, Cullen replied, "I have a free half hour at 2:15."

Checking her calendar, the attorney smiled, "I'll be there. It's not like I didn't have anything better to do today."

Sniggering, Cullen responded, "Yeah, tell me about it."

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	56. Chapter 56

I appreciate it when you review my story. It lets me know you are interested in my story.

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Arriving at Deputy Director Cullen's office, Sweets smiled at Barbara as she looked up from her desk. Sweets thought that Cullen's secretary reminded him of his adopted mother and always felt happy to see her. "The Deputy Director asked me to come see him, Barbara."

Glancing at the door leading into the inner sanctum, Barbara responded, "Good luck, Dr. Sweets."

Seeing the serious look on the secretary's face, Sweets blew air through his lips, "That bad?"

Shaking her head, Barbara responded, "You may go in, he's waiting for you."

Bracing his shoulders back, the young psychologist smoothed his tie down and made sure it was properly tucked in his jacket before he opened the door. Clearing his throat, Sweets, turned the knob, opened the door and entered the room. As he walked towards the Deputy Director's desk, he noticed Caroline Julian standing over near the window. As soon as he approached the desk, Caroline walked across the room and sat down on one of the chairs located across from Cullen, leaving Sweets the other one.

Pointing to the chair, Cullen ordered, "Sit down Dr. Sweets."

Smiling at Caroline, the younger man settled into his seat. Trying to appear calm and collected, Sweets asked, "You wanted to speak to me Sir?"

Glancing at Caroline, Cullen responded, "Agent Booth had a meeting with Caroline this morning and we've just finished one with the Director. Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan are now officially a couple. We're letting you know because you've been giving Dr. Brennan advice to return to Maluku and that needs to stop."

Startled, Sweets responded, "Agent Booth told you that he and Dr. Brennan were now a couple? Did anyone check with Dr. Brennan to make sure that was true?"

Clearly irritated, Caroline asked, "What are you saying? Are you trying to tell us that Booth would lie about having a relationship with his partner? Why would he risk losing his partner like that?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Sweets responded, "Agent Booth has been through a lot of stress for the last couple of years. That includes major brain surgery and memory loss. He's been battling that problem for over a year and he's been successful coming back from something that could have been devastating. He still suffers from depression and takes other medications. I just want to make sure that he hasn't misunderstood his relationship with Dr. Brennan. She's been a huge help to Agent Booth since he had his surgery and I can see where he might see more in their relationship than what actually exists."

Clasping his hands on the desk in front of him, Cullen responded, "During our meeting with the Director we also consulted with Dr. Saroyan. She has been aware of Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan's relationship since Dr. Brennan returned from Maluku. She didn't feel she needed to notify the FBI because Dr. Brennan is an employee of the Jeffersonian Institute and not the FBI. Since the good doctor and Agent Booth work for different agencies then Dr. Saroyan didn't see that there was a problem or that we needed to be told about it."

Puzzled, Sweets asked, "So Dr. Saroyan says that Booth and Dr. Brennan are in a personal relationship? Regardless of what she thought about their relationship, she should have contacted us and told us about it or urged Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan to come forward and tell us. Why wait?"

Smirking, Cullen replied, "Because they weren't sure how we were going to react and what we were going to do about their partnership. They wanted to hold off as long as possible just in case we decided to sever Dr. Brennan's contract."

Curious, Sweets asked, "Well then why are they telling us now? If they were afraid that we were going to sever his partnership, I would have thought Booth would have waited as long as possible."

Pursing her lips, Caroline spoke, "That was their plan until a busy body started trying to talk Dr. Brennan into returning to Maluku. Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth were very upset that their personal lives were being interfered with and they wanted it to stop."

Blushing, Sweets responded, "I didn't know they were a couple. All I knew was that Dr. Brennan returned because Agent Booth was depressed and I was afraid that he was relying too much upon her help. I was afraid what that was going to lead to for both of them."

Irritated, Caroline responded, "Dr. Brennan isn't your patient and hasn't been for quite awhile. I know for a fact that you gave up on writing your book about Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan. Now it is true that Agent Booth has been your patient for awhile; but, he's also been seeing another psychologist for over a year now. He started seeing him shortly after his surgery. That psychologist has been sending Deputy Director Cullen and me reports on Agent Booth's mental health and his recovery from his memory loss since Booth started seeing him. Agent Booth made arrangements for that information to be released to us because he has been a little hesitant to trust you. He's refused to say why he doesn't trust you. He says it's between him, Dr. Brennan and you."

Feeling a chill run down his back, Sweets shook his head, "I, uh, I don't know why he doesn't trust me. He was very resistant to talk to me after his surgery and it was very hard to get him to do so. I think the only reason he did it was because he needed my signature on his release forms to be reinstated in his position at the FBI. I wasn't aware that he was seeing another psychologist. Could I have that doctor's name? I'd like to consult with him."

Shaking his head, Cullen replied, "Sorry Dr. Sweets, we can't tell you. HIPPA prevents us from telling you. He has a right to his privacy and we can't interfere. Agent Booth would have to tell you."

Staring at Sweets, Caroline remarked, "You need to stop giving medical advice to Dr. Brennan. She is not your patient and she doesn't want unsolicited advice. Because of your interference, we've had to waste several man hours today. Instead of being able to do our jobs, the Director, the Deputy Director and I had to make room in our very busy schedules to take care of something that could have been left alone. Because of your unnecessary interference in Agent Booth's and Dr. Brennan's lives you've forced an issue to come to our attention and we've had to waste our time this afternoon to deal with it."

Embarrassed, Sweets responded, "I didn't know they were a couple. If anyone ever mentioned that they were a couple they've always been quick to shoot the idea down. Are you going to sever their partnership?"

Laughing, Caroline shook her head, "No and they knew it too. If we tried to separate them then Dr. Brennan would use a back out clause she has in her contract to negate her contract. If she did that, Agent Booth would stick to the letter of his job description and discontinue the investigations he'd been involved with. We'd lose a team that has the highest solve rate in the FBI. Since that would be cutting off our nose to spite our face, that isn't going to happen; so, the Director has decided that their partnership will remain intact."

Curious, Sweets asked, "What about the non-fraternization rule?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Cullen answered, "What fraternization? Dr. Brennan works for the Jeffersonian and Agent Booth works for the FBI."

Nodding his head, Sweets responded, "I understand."

Frowning, Caroline asked, "Do you? Do you really understand? Because of you we could have easily lost a great partnership. We will not tolerate anymore interference with those two. Leave them alone."

A little affronted, Sweets shot back, "Agent Booth is still technically my patient and believe it or not he's my friend too."

Sighing, Caroline replied, "Tread carefully Dr. Sweets. I don't want Agent Booth in my office complaining about your interference in his private life any more. I have enough to do without that."

Leaning back in his chair, Cullen asked, "You're being removed as Booth's psychologist, Dr. Sweets. There are boundaries that you have obviously crossed. I think a little suspension might help you understand that too. I think two weeks without pay might be an eye opener. Are you clear about the situation, Dr. Sweets? If you don't back off and leave those two alone you might find yourself in a remote field office for the rest of your career."

Shaking his head, Sweets replied, "No, I got it."

Nodding his head, Cullen pointed to the door, "Good, this meeting is over."

After Sweets left the room, Cullen turned to Caroline, "Are you sure you don't know why Booth doesn't trust Sweets?"

Shaking her head, Caroline replied, "No, believe me I tried to get him tell me; but, he wouldn't budge."

Shaking his head, Cullen responded, "It must be pretty bad. Dr. Sweets better hope we never find out."

Nodding her head, Caroline stood, "I'm sure he knows that."

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A/N: in the United States: HIPPA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This prevents private medical information from being given out to anyone that the patient doesn't want to have it.


	57. Chapter 57

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Holding her in his arms, Booth smiled, "This is nice. Now that we don't have to worry about anyone seeing us, we need to do this more often."

Swaying his arms, Brennan returned his smile, "We did go dancing Booth. We've gone on several dates in the last few months that included dancing."

Leaning closer and kissing his girlfriend, Booth stared into her crystal blue eyes, "Yeah, but not in D.C. I always drove us to some other town to do it. Now we don't have to leave town."

Staring into his warm chocolate eyes, Brennan moved her left hand from his waist up his back, "Yes, that's true. It also means that we can stay out longer because we don't have to account for the drive back."

Happy, Booth sighed, "It's too bad it's a school night. I'd like to dance with you all night long."

Shaking her head, Brennan squeezed his hand, "I don't think we could do that Booth. You're feet won't allow that to happen; but, it is nice to dance together right now and not worry about being seen by people we know."

Holding her a little closer, Booth leaned down and murmured in his lover's ear, "There are different ways to dance."

Laughing, Brennan responded, "Um, yes there are many ways to dance. Perhaps we could try some of the more adventurous ways to dance when we go home this evening."

Kissing her once more, Booth responded, "Whatever you want Bones, whatever you want."

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Sitting as his desk, going over an after action report, Booth heard a knock on the frame of his doorway. Looking up, Booth found Sweets standing there.

Scowling, Booth asked, "What do you want?"

Hesitant, Sweets asked, "May I come in? I'd like to talk to you."

Running his tongue across the bottom of this teeth Booth placed his pen down on his desk and leaned back in his chair, "Alright, maybe we should."

Sitting down across from Booth, Sweets nodded his head, "I've really made a mess of things. Since you've had your brain surgery, I've been . . . I don't think you remember but before your surgery I was a friend of yours. You actually liked me. Then you had that tumor and everything changed. You didn't remember me and that was so upsetting to me. You'd lost your memory, well over three years of it and because of those missing years, you didn't know me from Adam. I wanted to help you; but, you wouldn't let me and I . . . I wracked my brains trying to figure out how to help you and you just shut me down no matter what I tried. I thought it was great that you trusted Dr. Brennan enough to get her to help you and she really did a fantastic job. I mean she really did. I know some how you got a lot of those three and half years back but not all of them. You still don't remember me being your friend, do you?"

Shaking his head slowly, Booth replied, "No, I don't. I remember you being my psychiatrist. I remember having sessions with Bones and you in your office, but really not what they were about or anything. Bones told me it was about our partnership and that I got you to be our profiler. She said I gave you permission to write a book about our partnership. I don't know why I agreed to do that. I wouldn't do it now."

Nodding his head, Sweets responded, "I wouldn't worry about the book. It was crap and I shelved it. You're tumor changed everything and my study was no longer based on what was going on in your and Dr. Brennan's life. . . I heard that you found another psychiatrist to help you last year. I didn't know about that. It's your right of course and I'm actually glad you did find someone you could trust enough to talk to." Sighing, Sweets cleared his throat, "I'd like to start our relationship over again. I'd like to push the restart button. I want to begin by apologizing to you for something I did to you and Dr Brennan. I don't know if you remember what I did; but, I have to assume that Dr. Brennan told you and that's when the hostility started towards me."

Licking his lips, Sweets clasped his hands on his lap and stared at them, "You were shot by a woman who was stalking you and the FBI decided to use that incident to fake your death . . ."

Interrupting Sweets, Booth shook his head, "You don't have to go over it, I remember some it and what I don't remember, Bones filled in the rest. I also looked over the files on those two cases; so, I'm familiar with what happened."

Nodding his head, Sweets glanced at Booth and then back at his hands, "Yeah, well you may not know that I . . . you and Dr. Brennan were in love with each other back then but you both refused to admit it to each other. Mostly I think it was because Dr. Brennan was terrified of the concept of love and you were terrified of losing her if you pushed her."

Looking up, Sweets noticed the puzzled look on Booth's face, "You think I was in love with Bones?"

Nodding his head, Sweets stared at the agent, "Yes, it was obvious to anyone that cared to look. You and Dr. Brennan had horrific childhoods and each of you handled it in a unique way. Dr. Brennan came to the conclusion that love was chemical and nothing more. You, well you've had relationship problems with every woman you've ever tried to be intimate with."

Frowning, Booth asked, "I'm pretty sure I never talked to you about my past relationships, Sweets. Memory problem or not, I wouldn't do that and I know it."

Rubbing his head, Sweets sighed, "You're a complicated person, Agent Booth. You're not as simple as you pretend to be. That façade you put up is pretty good; but, you have to know that most of us know you are a lot smarter than you want us to think. You have talked to me in the past about your relationships. I can assure you that in the past, when we were friends, we did talk about, Rebecca and Tessa and Cam and Dr. Brennan. I mean we didn't talk about your sex life or anything like that; but, we did talk about how difficult of a time you've had to make relationships work. Anyway, that's neither here nor there, you don't remember talking to me about it and that's fine. Well it has to be doesn't it? Anyway, when you were shot and you went undercover, I was supposed to notify some people that you had on a list that you weren't dead. Dr. Brennan was on that list and I didn't notify her."

Shaking his head, Booth frowned, "Why would you do that to her? You know she liked me and we were friends. In fact, you just said that you thought she loved me. Why would you be cruel to her like that?"

Clasping his hands together again, Sweets cleared his throat, "I wanted to force Dr. Brennan to recognize that she loved you. I wanted her to admit to herself that love was real and that she loved you. I thought she would mourn for you and then when she discovered that you were alive that she would realize that life was short and that she could finally admit to you that she loved you allowing you to admit to her that you loved her."

His nostrils flaring, Booth grimly observed, "But that isn't what happened is it? Bones told me that she was furious with me for days for not personally calling her and telling her I was alive. She didn't give a damn that you were supposed to tell her, she was furious at me. You risked my partnership, Sweets. You risked my friendship with Bones and the most unforgivable thing of all was you were cruel to Bones. Why should I forgive you for that?"

Shaking his head, Sweets said quietly, "I don't know why, but you did in the past. You did forgive me and we became friends. We were friends before you had your surgery Agent Booth. I don't know why you forgave me but you did. Won't you . . . Do you think we could ever be friends again?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth stared at the younger man, "I don't know Sweets. I guess I'm not the same man I was before my surgery. Bones says I'm different." Scratching his hand, Booth bit his bottom lip, "I don't know why the old me forgave you Sweets but I must have had a reason; so, let me just say this, I don't hate you, okay? I don't like you and I don't hate you. Right now, I don't anything you. If you want to be my friend then you're going to have to apologize to Bones for what you did. After that we'll see."

Curious and a little relieved, Sweets asked, "What if she doesn't forgive me?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth smiled, "Then she doesn't forgive you. If you apologize to her, then no matter what she says to you, I'll try to forgive you. My faith tells me that I should so I'll try. That's my best offer."

Standing Sweets smiled, "I'll take it."

Putting his right hand up, Booth exclaimed, "Oh, you also have to quit psychoanalyzing me and running to my boss about me. I have a psychiatrist. I want you to stop forcing your way in to my life, professionally. I'll try to be your friend if you do what I ask; but, I won't be your patient."

Nodding his head, Sweets replied, "I understand."

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	58. Chapter 58

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I don't own Bones.

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Knocking on the doorframe of Brennan's office, Sweets waited for her to look up from a tray of small bones she was studying. Glancing towards the doorway, Brennan frowned, "I'm busy, Dr. Sweets."

Nodding his head, he stepped into the room and clasped his hands in front of him, "I was wondering if I could talk to you for a few minutes. It won't take more than a few minutes."

Shaking her head, Brennan leaned back in her chair, "I don't want to talk about Maluku anymore. I've said all I'm going to say on the topic."

Sighing, Sweets shook his head, "No, that topic is closed. I wanted to talk to you about something that I did to you and Agent Booth. Something I'm ashamed of."

Curious, Brennan pointed to the chair in front of her desk, "Alright."

Sitting on the chair, Sweets straightened his shoulders and began, "When Agent Booth was shot by Pam Noonan, I was given a list of people to contact to let them know that Booth wasn't dead. I contacted everyone on that list except you. I want to apologize for doing that. I had a reason for doing it; but, in retrospect it was a cruel thing to do and unprofessional I have to admit it, in fact it was unethical."

Coldly, Brennan replied, "It was unethical to experiment on your patients, Dr. Sweets. To use us as lab rats for your book was very cruel. Your experiment caused me pain and made me angry towards Booth. He didn't deserve that. It wasn't his decision to go undercover. It was the Deputy Director's decision. The only way Booth could make certain that his family and I knew it was a trick was for you to use the list you were given and you didn't. Instead you wanted to set up an experiment to force me to go through the grieving process for someone I care for. I don't see how that kind of experiment was of benefit to your book. All your experiment accomplished was to place a wall between Booth and myself and to prove to me that psychology is not to be trusted."

Shaking his head, Sweets sighed, "That was not the purpose I intended, Dr. Brennan. What I hoped to achieve was something completely different. I wanted you to admit to yourself that you loved Agent Booth. I knew that he loved you and I was sure you loved him; but, since I knew he wouldn't push you into anything I thought I could make you see that you were lying to yourself when you said you were just his partner. I just wanted you to feel his loss temporarily and I hoped it would force you to admit that love wasn't just a chemical reaction in the body. I wanted you to admit to yourself that love is real and that you loved Booth."

Crossing her arms, Brennan responded, "And yet, you actually forced me to consider the fact that love was a dangerous emotion that allowed someone else to dictate my future happiness. It made me realize that loving someone meant that if that person were do die then it could leave me devastated and more alone than I was before I allowed love to come into the equation."

Nodding his head, Sweets stared at the small bones on the tray before her, "Yes, what I planned to happen failed. I know what I did was wrong and I've already apologized to Agent Booth. Now I'm apologizing to you."

Curious Brennan asked, "Why now? Why didn't you apologize after you realized that the experiment had failed?"

Biting his lower lip, Sweets glanced up into her eyes, "I . . . I didn't apologize because you were angry with Agent Booth and not me. It was cowardly; but, I was afraid if I apologized then the whole thing would escalate. You forgave Agent Booth after a few days and he forgave me after a few weeks. I didn't have a reason to apologize after that. It just seemed like you two were going to ignore what I did and I let you."

Uncrossing her arms, Brennan leaned forward, "Then why apologize now?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Sweets replied, "Because Agent Booth doesn't trust me. Before his surgery, we were friends. I don't have any family and I have just a few friends. I want my friendship back with Agent Booth. I'm apologizing for purely selfish reasons. I want you and Agent Booth to forgive me so that he'll be my friend again. He says he only remembers some of the things that happened when he was shot and he knows that you were angry with him at the time; but, he doesn't remember that we became friends later. He doesn't remember our friendship at all. He told me that if I apologize to you then he would try to forgive me. He doesn't know if he will; but, he said he'd try."

Staring intently at the young psychologist, Brennan asked, "Does he expect me to forgive you? Is his friendship contingent upon my accepting your apology?"

Shaking his head, Sweets replied, "No, not at all. He just said that I had to apologize to you for the cruel thing I'd done to you."

Leaning over and picking up one of the small bones from the tray, Brennan nodded her head, "Then you've accomplished your mission. I have heard your apology."

Clearing his throat, Sweets asked, "Do you forgive me?"

Shaking her head, Brennan held the small bone up so that she get a clearer look at it, "I haven't decided yet. I have my own agenda. I do know that if you wish me to accept your apology then I want you to stop interfering with Booth. Your constant need to give him advice is very annoying and not appreciated or wanted. Booth is seeing another psychiatrist and he doesn't need or want your psychological help. Booth has done remarkably well. His memory loss was devastating but he has recovered a large portion of that missing memory and he's managed to function quite well without the memories that are gone. If you want to be his friend then act like his friend and not his doctor. He could use a friend. He doesn't need another doctor."

Rubbing his hands on his knees, Sweets sighed, "Yes, you're right. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

Returning her attention to her bones, Brennan remarked, "I am busy and I think this conversation is concluded."

Standing, Sweets stared at Brennan running her fingers slowly over a bone, "Thank you for letting me talk to you, Dr. Brennan." Realizing that Brennan had already dismissed him, he turned and left her office.

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	59. Chapter 59

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_He'd been staring at the glass of water for over five minutes. The guard had opened the door and had placed the glass on the floor near the door and had stared at him for several minutes. Ignoring the glass, he'd stared at the guard until the man had scowled and left the room, slamming the door behind him. _

_After making sure that the guard wasn't coming back, he'd crawled over to the glass and drank the entire contents. Lying on the dirty cement floor, he felt cold. He was in a desert and he knew he should be hot; but, he wasn't and that worried him. Unable to move back to the far wall, he lay where he was. _

_Shivering, he hugged himself and waited to see what was going to happen next. After awhile he heard the door unlock and someone tried to open it. His body was blocking it and the person on the other side steadily pushed on it, moving him with the door. Not looking up, he continued to stare at the far wall. _

_Feeling a hand, on his shoulders, he heard, "Oh my God, we're going to get you out of here. Just hold on."_

_Not sure what was going on, he ignored the voice and stared at the bloody trail from the far wall to where he was lying. Incurious, his shivering increased._

_Feeling himself being lifted from the floor, he knew he was being carried from the room. Trying not to let them know he was in pain, he panted and stared at the ceiling as he was carried down a hallway. Soon he found himself being carried outside. The sun was so bright; he cried out and closed his eyes. The men carrying him placed him down on the back of a truck and wrapped him in a blanket. Bending over him, his rescuer lifted his left eyelid carefully and stared at him. Closing his lid, the Sergeant shook his head, "Okay Master Sergeant. You just need to hold on for a little bit longer. Just hold on."_

_Soon he felt the truck moving. As the truck picked up speed it hit a large hole jarring him making him cry out._

Feeling arms around him, Booth jerked awake. Panting, he turned his head to see his lover staring into his eyes, "Booth, it was just a dream."

Trying to catch his breath, he lay in her arms as his breathing slowly returned to normal. Finally able to speak, he licked his bottom lip, "Sorry."

Hugging him tightly, Brennan soothed him, "There is nothing to be sorry for."

Nodding his head, he shifted his body so that he was facing her, "Go back to sleep. I'm fine."

Staring at him, she watched his eyes close and his breathing become slower. Swallowing, she leaned towards him and kissed him gently.

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Sitting in Gordon Wyatt's office, Booth smiled at the Chef as he handed him a cup of coffee and a plate of cookies. Placing the plate on the coffee table in front of him, he took in the aroma coming from his cup and sipped the coffee. "Thanks, Doc. I've been running on empty all morning." Picking up a cookie, he bit into it. Smiling, he said around his mouthful, "Good, thanks."

Nodding his head, Gordon asked, "So what brings you here? I thought we didn't have an appointment until next week."

Placing the cup down next to the plate, Booth brushed some crumbs off of his jacket, "I had Sweets spanked by Caroline and Cullen over some bullshit he'd been pulling. He didn't take it as badly as I thought he would. Here's the thing, he wants to be my friend. He says we were friends before my surgery and wants that friendship back. . . . I don't remember being his friend and I don't know if I want to be. He did something pretty cruel to Bones a few years ago and he's apologized for it. I told him he had to and he did it. I told him if he did that I might try to be his friend again. The kid is smart and I guess he means well; but, he interferes in my life a lot. He's always trying to give me advice. He does that to Bones too. I just can't figure the guy out. He wants to be my friend and I can't figure out why. What makes me so special? I'm 13 years older than he is. He should have friends closer to his own age; but, from what Charlie tells me the guy doesn't seem to have very many friends. Why is he so interested in me?"

Leaning over and taking a cookie from the plate, Gordon bit into and chewed slowly, "You're my patient and Dr. Sweets isn't."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth frowned, "Okay."

Swallowing the cookie, Gordon smiled, "I'm just saying that he isn't a patient of mine and the things I know about him aren't covered by HIPPA."

Nodding his head, Booth took another cookie from the plate and bit into it.

Watching Booth chew slowly, Gordon continued, "You've told me in the past that Dr. Sweets did something unspeakably cruel to Dr. Brennan. Will you tell me what it was?"

Shaking his head, Booth responded, "Nah."

Finishing his cookie, Gordon patted the crumbs from his fingers, "Alright, fair enough. Dr. Sweets is the victim of child abuse much like you were. He was taken from his parents when he was six years old and given to an older couple who raised him until he was 21. They died just before he started working for the FBI. Dr. Brennan knows this and at one time so did you. She's seen the scars he bears on his back. Apparently his biological parents thought it was alright to torture him. His adopted parents did a wonderful job helping him and he's really done quite well overcoming such an abusive start in life. . . . He is aware of your and Dr. Brennan's childhood and he's drawn to you both because of it. He's seen that you function fairly well for all of the misery you had as a child and I suppose that is why he wants to be with you, to be your friend. Dr. Brennan used to call him your baby duck. I don't know if she told you that. He needed a family and after he met you two and got to know you better I think he decided that you were the family he needed. He is alone, Booth. Since his adopted parents died he hasn't had anyone that he can look to and know that they are there for him. Before your surgery, you'd become friends with him and I suppose in a way you'd adopted him as your little brother. I imagine your inability to remember him as a friend has been very painful to him and he's been acting up because of it."

Frowning, Booth leaned back and crossed his arms. Staring at Gordon, Booth sighed, "I guess it wouldn't kill me to give the guy a break."

Laughing quietly, Gordon shook his head, "Try to contain your enthusiasm, Booth."

Frowning, Booth leaned over and picked up another cookie, "I already have one pain in the ass brother, what's one more?"

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	60. Chapter 60

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Answering his phone, Booth smiled, "Hey, Bones."

Looking through a report on her PC, Brennan smiled, "Hi, Booth. We've finally determined who our victim is that was found at Monticello. Angela found a missing persons report for the boy in Indiana. His name is Carey Mcknight. He was reported missing two weeks ago by his parents. He lived four blocks from his school and had walked over to there to meet some friends to play touch football. When he didn't come home for lunch his mother searched for him and found two of his friends. They said they hadn't seen him at all that day. She called the police and an Amber alert was placed in Indiana."

Making notes, Booth asked, "Can you send me what you have? Are you still going with strangulation as cause of death?"

Forwarding Angela's report to Booth along with the autopsy and toxicology report, Brennan nodded her head, "Yes. He was definitely strangled. His mother informed the police that the child was diabetic and took pills to control it. He wasn't on insulin; but, he did need the pills. It wasn't controllable with diet alone."

Studying the report, Booth shook his head, "Who ever took him had the boy for at least four days before he was killed." Reading the highlighted notes Brennan sent him he nodded his head and closed the file, "Okay, thanks. I'll have someone at the Indianapolis office contact Mrs. McKnight. . . . I wonder if the child was killed because he started to get sick without his pills and who ever had him panicked."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan replied, "That's psychology. I can only tell you that the child was definitely murdered about four days after he was kidnapped."

Smiling, Booth started searching through the pile of reports on his desk for a report he'd received from Agent Brown about a RICO case they were working on, "Got to go, I have a meeting in ten. I love you."

Standing, Brennan responded, "I'll meet you at the diner at noon."

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His meeting had run over well past noon and he'd had to cancel his lunch date. Eating some potato chips, he was going over his notes from his meeting when his phone rang, "Booth"

A cheery voice spoke, "Well, hey, Agent Booth. I just wanted to call you and tell you that I'm sorry about that little misunderstanding we had almost three years ago. I know you probably haven't forgiven me for it but still I thought I'd call you and say I'm sorry."

Puzzled, Booth asked, "Who is this? I don't know what you're talking about."

Sighing, his caller replied, "It's me big dog, Melvin Gallagher."

Frowning, Booth asked, "What do you want?"

Coughing, Gallagher replied, "Yeah, what I want isn't really important any more. I'm just calling you to say I'm sorry for what I did to you. It was business but still, I'm going to meet my maker pretty soon and I thought I'd make my apology to you while I still can. I know it don't mean nothing to you; but, well, I'm just doing my thing and making sure you understand that I regret what I did. I'm going to be answering to my Lord pretty soon for all the crap I did in my life and I want to be able to tell him that I at least apologized to some of the people I screwed over. I know it's a dollar late and a dollar short; but, I'm trying. I'm not asking you to forgive me because I wouldn't if I was you. I just wanted to apologize and now I've done it. I'm going to say bye now. I got other calls to make. I got a mighty long list and only a little time; so, I hope you have a nice life and again, I'm sorry."

Hearing the call end, Booth placed his phone down on top of his desk and stared at it.

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_They were talking about him as if he weren't there, "Perhaps he didn't see Kennedy."_

_The bigger, curly haired man responded, "Yeah, now how'd you come to that though?"_

_The taller lankier man, frowned, "Well, Kennedy would've left him with an ice pick protruding from his head."_

_The bigger man turned to him, "Just one question, big dog. Did you see Kennedy?"_

_Understanding that to answer the question would be his death sentence, he remained silent._

_The lanky man had wanted to kill him; but, the bulkier man shook his head, "I gotta know for sure if Kennedy's dead or alive."_

_Smirking, he stared straight ahead and replied, "Good luck with that one, big dog."_

_The taller man responded, "I suppose we could do that thing that McKenna used to do; but, I'd need a blow torch and a sharpened screwdriver."_

_Losing patience, Curly top demanded, "Just tell me."_

_Quietly, he spoke, "Woof."_

_Pulling out the picture of Parker from his wallet, the bulky man responded, "Gonna let you take a look at your sweet boy. Consign his face into your memory and then I'm gonna ask you which one of your eyes you like best."_

_Angry, he suddenly head butted the bigger man in the head, causing the mob boss to fall to the ground with a bloody nose. The thinner man, furious, kicked the chair over that he was sitting on and tied to and started to kick him in the stomach and ribs. _

_Gasping he tried to remain silent._

Rearing up, Booth threw the covers off of him and stood up. His heart pounding, he held his hands against his stomach and tried to catch his breath.

Brennan aware that Booth must be still dreaming moved off of the bed and walked around to the foot of the bed, "Booth, wake up. You're having a dream, Booth. You need to wake up."

Shaking his head, Booth looked down at his stomach and saw that he was just wearing his boxers. Looking around, he noticed, Brennan standing at the foot of the bed, "I . . . I was . . ." Shaking his head, he moved back to the bed and sat down, "Two nights in a row, I'm sorry Bones. Maybe I need to sleep in the guest bedroom until I settle back down again."

Shaking her head slowly, Brennan sat down next to Booth, "No, that isn't necessary. It's been awhile since you've have nightmares, Booth. Do you know why you're having them now?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "Not really. Nothing has happened lately that's bothered me. I guess it's just me being me."

Hooking her arm around his right arm, Brennan frowned, "You're not hiding anything from me are you Booth? You know you can tell me anything."

Reaching up and patting her arm, Booth shook his head, "Nah, nothing's going on, Bones. I've just been really busy lately and I guess it's catching up with me. I'm fine."

Leaning against Booth, his girlfriend responded, "I think we should consider going on vacation. You've been through a lot since your surgery and you haven't taken any vacation days since you came back to work. We could take a few days and go for a drive or we could even stay home and not do anything."

Staring at his hand on her arm, Booth finally responded, "Sure, if you want to we'll do that."

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	61. Chapter 61

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Handing his open cases over to Morris Harris, Booth smiled, "Buck up, I'll only be gone for two weeks."

Rolling his eyes, Harris shook his head, "Sure, what's to complain about. I'm supposed to take over your open cases and try to solve them when you're taking Dr. Brennan with you. I also get the joy of running Major Crimes. You know how much I love riding herd over your bunch of Prima Donnas."

Laughing, Booth shook his head, "If I can do it with a hole in my head then it shouldn't be a problem for you at all."

Sitting behind Booth's desk, Harris surveyed all of the uncompleted reports sitting on the desk top, "Yeah, right. That hole in the head shit is getting old Booth. You need to come up with another song."

Patting Harris on the shoulder, Booth smiled, "It's the only song I have, Harris. I forgot all of the others."

Shaking his head, Harris glared at Booth, "Again with the hole in the head jokes. Hurry up and go on vacation so you can get your ass back here. I don't want your frigging job and that's a fact."

Walking towards the doorway, Booth explained, "That's why I gave you the job. You need to push your boundaries." Turning and looking at his temporary replacement, Booth snapped his fingers, "Oh, yeah, you have a meeting tomorrow morning with Caroline and Cullen. They want to go over the Latimer case. You know the one that Agent Carey screwed up. Good luck with that."

Glaring at Booth, Harris shook his finger, "Don't worry, I'll sell Agent Carey down the river as fast as I can."

Saluting him, Booth shook his head, "I can see you're going to be an inspiration for your agents."

Flipping his middle finger at his retreating boss, Harris called out, "Screw you and the horse you rode in on. . . . Oh bring me back something . . . and not a key ring like the last time."

Waving his hand, Booth walked down the hallway and to the stairwell as quickly as possible.

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Sitting on his couch, Booth laughed, "Okay I guess we're officially on vacation. I told everyone that we were going to be driving up to Quebec. That should keep them from calling me. Did you tell Cam our cover story?"

Smiling, Brennan shook her head, "No, I don't like lying. I merely told her that I was going on vacation and I didn't want anyone to call me."

Rethinking their plan, Booth asked, "Are you sure you just want to hang out here? We can go for a drive. Isn't there some place you'd like to see?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan moved closer to her boyfriend and clasped her hand in his, "We don't have to stay here all of the time. I thought we could rest for a week. Perhaps we could go out of town the second week. We can go for a drive and take our time to see the countryside. Perhaps we can drive to Moundsville, West Virginia. The Grave Creek Mound is located there. It's one of the largest conical mounds in the United States. I've never seen it and I think I would like to."

Puzzled, Booth smiled, "Sure, you want to see it then we'll drive over to see it. Uh, what is it?"

Returning his smile, Brennan explained, "It was built by the Adena culture. It's a mound of dirt built around 200 B.C."

Nodding his head, Booth explained, "Oh goody. I'd love to see a pile of old dirt."

Frowning, Brennan studied Booth's expression, "You are of course being sarcastic. Still, once you see it I think you will be suitably impressed."

Laughing, Booth pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "Hey, if you say it's impressive, I believe you. So, want to fool around?"

Smiling, Brennan returned his kiss, "Well, that is part of my vacation plan too."

Wriggling his eye brows, Booth kissed her again, "You actually came up with a good vacation plan. I'll have to let you plan all of our vacations from now on."

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Hearing a knock on the front door, Booth frowned, "Damn it. We aren't here. I'm not answering it. Whoever it is can go away."

Frowning, Brennan sat up, "Booth it may important."

Sighing, Booth moved to the edge of the bed and sat up, "We are on vacation. We are not going to crime scenes or anywhere else."

Pushing him, Brennan responded, "They know that. It has be something else."

Standing, Booth grabbed his jeans off of the floor and put them on. Leaving the bedroom, Booth looked back, "This is a mistake."

Walking down the hallway, Booth heard the knocking turn into pounding. Angry, he yanked the door open and glared.

Holding his fist up as if he were going to knock again, Jared frowned, "It's about damn time." Pushing past Booth, Jared staggered down the hallway and into the living room.

Booth, upset that his brother was obviously drunk, walked behind him. Entering the living room, Booth watched as his brother fell on the couch. "I thought you and Padme were supposed to be in India."

Angrily, Jared folded his arms across his chest, "She went without me."

Puzzled, Booth asked, "Why did she do that?"

Turning his gaze away from his brother, Jared said quietly, "We had a fight. She got really mad at me and she told me she was going back to see her parents without me. She said she may not come back."

Shaking his head, Booth asked, "What did you do?"

Staring at Booth's closed bedroom door, Jared muttered, "I hit her." Closing his eyes, Jared leaned forward and started to cry.

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	62. Chapter 62

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Anger suddenly overwhelming him, Booth stepped next to Jared and grabbed his shoulder, "What the hell do you mean you hit her? You son-of-a-bitch, what do you mean you hit her?"

Staring in fear at his brother, Jared saw the rage on Booth's face. "I didn't mean to do it. She was yelling at me and then I said something I shouldn't have and she slapped me. I lost it and I hit her." Placing his hands over his face, Jared cried harder.

Releasing his brother's shoulder, Booth shook his head and stepped back, "All the shit you went through as a kid, the hell we lived in because our father was a bastard and you have the nerve to hit Padme? You're disgusting, you know that? Do you? It's bad enough you drink like him, now you want to abuse the woman you love too? That's how it's going to be?"

Trembling, Jared shook his head, "It was a mistake. I didn't mean to do it. I just reacted."

Shaking his head, Booth ran his hands through his hair, "Why are you here? What do you want?"

Swallowing, the younger man licked his lips, "I don't want to be by myself. I'm feeling wrong inside. I'm afraid of what I might do if I'm by myself."

Crossing his arms across his chest, Booth asked, "What do you mean you might do something?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Jared put his hands over his eyes and started to cry again, "I don't know, alright. I don't know."

Hearing the bedroom door open, Booth turned to see Brennan staring at Jared. "Bones, it might be better if you stay in the bedroom for awhile. I need to talk to Jared. It's alright. I'll explain later. Is that okay?"

Nodding her head, Brennan withdrew from the room and closed the door behind her.

Returning his gaze upon his brother, Booth shook his head, "You need help Jared. You need to give up drinking. You need to do it now. If you keep going you're going to turn into Dad and then it will be all over. If you don't stop drinking I'm going to have to . . . I'm going to cut off ties with you. I have to. I can't go through that shit anymore. I had to live it as a child. I won't live it as an adult. I won't."

Nodding his head, Jared removed his hands from his eyes and placed them on his knees. "I know I need help, Seeley. I know that. I don't want to be Dad. I hate him and I don't want to be like him. I'm asking you to help me. Please."

Closing his eyes momentarily, Booth sighed. Rubbing his eyes, Booth finally looked at his brother, "I'll help you. But I'll only help you once. I'll help you get into AA and you can stay here a few days. Once you've gone to a few meetings, you can go home. I am warning you though I'm not going to get on a merry go round with you. You have to change and you have to be serious about it. If you screw around and jump back into drinking don't come back here. I'm not going to live like that. I had to deal what a drunken bastard when I was a boy and I won't do it now. You can call me a cold hearted selfish bastard all you like; but, this is the only time I'll help you. I've finally got what I want in my life and I'm not going to let you ruin it. Do you hear me? Do you understand? I'm not going to give up my happiness for you. I won't put Bones through any crap for you."

Nodding his head, Jared looked at his brother's stern visage, "Yes, I understand. I need help Seeley. Please help me."

Staring at Jared for awhile, he finally sighed, "You're lucky I'm home. I've been staying at Bone's place more than mine. You can stay in Parker's room for a few days. We'll go to a meeting in the morning and then probably another one tomorrow night. We'll do that for a few days and then you can go home. Don't screw this up, Jared. This is your shot, take it."

Standing, Jared swayed a little and steadied his stand. Feeling stable, he walked to Parker's room and fell on the bed. Following him, Booth covered his brother with a blanket, closed the door and walked back into the living room. Still angry at Jared, Booth sat down on the couch and leaned back staring at his bedroom door.

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The apartment cloaked in silence, Brennan became concerned when Booth didn't return to bed. Opening the bedroom door, she saw her lover sitting on the couch, staring at her.

Entering the living room, Brennan stopped a few feet from Booth, "Are you going to come back to bed?"

Sighing, Booth nodded his head, "Yeah. Jared is going to be staying with us for a few days. He's agreed go to AA. I'm going to take him twice a day for the next four days. After that he's going back home. . . I'm sorry if I'm screwing up your vacation, Bones. I don't . . . he's my brother and I owe it to him to try to help him. I want you to understand something though. You come first. If this is too much just tell me. I've already warned him that I'll only help him once."

Smiling, she moved to sit next to Booth, "I understand Booth. Our vacation isn't ruined. This is Friday evening. Four days puts us to Tuesday. On Wednesday I think we should just get in your truck or my car and just drive. If no one can find us then no one can interfere further with our vacation."

Smiling, Booth pulled Brennan into his arms, "You know I love you right?"

Laughing lightly, Brennan kissed her man, "Yes, I believe I do know that."

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_She'd tried to protect him and ended being pummeled by her enraged husband. Standing with his back towards the wall, he watched him walk out of the room leaving her lying on the floor. Running towards her, he cried. Pulling on her, he tried to get her to sit up; but, she cried out and held her hand to her side._

"_Seeley, something is wrong. Something is wrong. Bring me the phone baby, I need to call an ambulance. It's alright just bring me the phone. You can go to the front door and let them in okay. Can you do that for your Mommy? Baby, do you understand? Bring me the phone and then go to the door and let them in."_

_Climbing on the barstool, he took the phone off of the counter and climbed back down the stool. Carrying the phone to his mother, he sat down next to her and stroked her face. Trying not to frighten him, she smiled at him as she called for an ambulance. Once she had gasped out her need for help, she looked at her son, "Seeley, go to the door and open it. Let the men come in when they get here. Show them where Mommy is, okay? Okay, baby?"_

_Walking away from her, he kept staring back at her. Crying he managed to get the front door open after using a chair to stand on. Pushing the chair out of the way, he sat in the doorway and waited. _

_Watching the men, come to the door, he led them to his mother. Watching the men talk to her, he suddenly felt sick when she cried out in pain. Crying, he tried to reach his mother only to have one of the strange men grab him and hold him, "It's okay little man. We're going to go for a ride."_

_Crying he tried to reach for his mother as she was wheeled past him._

Sobbing, he sat up and looked around. Shaking his head, he turned to look at Brennan who was sitting next to him, her hand on his hip, "Bones, I will never hurt you. Never. I'd die first."

Nodding, Brennan smiled, "I know that Booth."

Wiping his face with the sheet, Booth shook his head, "My father was an asshole."

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	63. Chapter 63

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The next morning, Booth got out of bed early. Dressing quietly, he moved into the living room and flipped on the TV turning the volume down very low. Checking the scores for most of the major league teams, he left the TV on and walked into the kitchen.

Preparing pancakes and sliced fruit, Booth didn't notice he had company until he turned and almost walked right into his girlfriend, "Hey, whoa, sorry, didn't see you there."

Smiling, Brennan placed her arms around his waist, "What are doing up so early? We are on vacation you know. The point of vacation is to rest and relax."

Leaning down and kissing her, Booth smiled, "Yeah, I agree with that; but, I need to find an AA meeting this morning and take Jared to it. Once I've done that, I'll bring his sorry ass back here and we can go out somewhere. I have to take him to another meeting tonight and then we can do whatever you want to do. I guess we can do that for the next four days until I kick his ass out of here and then we can leave."

Shaking her head, Brennan offered, "If you'd like I can take him to the evening meetings. That way the burden won't be entirely yours."

Placing his hand along her face, he smiled, "Nah, he's my idiot brother and I'll deal with him. When Russ screws up I'll let you handle him."

Staring into his eyes, Brennan frowned, "I'm here if you need me, Booth. I can help you if you need me to."

Tightening his embrace, Booth nuzzled her neck, "Yeah, I know. If idiot wasn't here I'd let you help me all day. It will only be for four days then out he goes."

Smiling, Brennan responded, "Booth, I think your pancakes are burning."

Whirling around, Booth grabbed his skillet and used his spatula to lift his two pancakes out of the skillet, "Damn." Tossing them in the trash can, Booth laughed, "You see what you made me do? You drive me a little crazy sometimes and I forget what I'm supposed to be doing."

Laughing, Brennan slapped his butt, "Don't blame me. I'm not the one who turned my back on the stove."

Flinching, Booth turned around and glared, "Stop that Bones. Idiot brother is in Parker's room you know."

Laughing, Brennan left the kitchen and returned to the bedroom to make the bed and then take a shower.

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Breakfast ready, Booth walked into Parker's room to find his brother still sleeping. Shaking him, Booth spoke loudly, "Get up, Jared. You need to eat and then take a shower. You're going to an AA meeting this morning so you need to get a move on."

Shaking his head, Jared grumbled, "Piss off you stupid son-of-a-bitch, I'm sleeping."

Angry, Booth grabbed his brother's legs and pulled him out of bed, allowing Jared to fall to the floor.

Furious, Jared staggered up, "What the hell do you think you're doing? I could have been hurt."

Sneering, Booth shook his head, "I told you to get up. I don't say things twice. You want my help then get your ass moving. I put a change of clothes in the bathroom. After we eat, you're going to take a shower and get ready to go."

Turning, Booth walked to the doorway. Stopping, Booth turned to look at his brother, "You behave yourself. I don't want you to upset Bones."

Frowning, Jared replied, "I was sleeping. You know I don't like people waking me up early for anything. You shouldn't have woke me up like that, it was disrespectful."

Snorting, Booth shook his head, "You want to be treated with respect, then respect others. I told you go get up and you cussed me out. That's not exactly the best way to get me to want to help you."

Leaving the room, Booth scowled as he walked over to the dining room table. Noticing Brennan staring at him, he allowed his face to relax, "He's coming." Sitting down, Booth forked some pancakes onto his plate along with several pieces of bacon.

Jared slouching into the room frowned at Booth and then walked over to the table. Sitting down, he stared at the food before him, "I don't think I'm hungry."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth folded a piece of bacon and placed it into his mouth. Chewing, Booth turned his attention to his pancakes and cut them up into small pieces. Reaching for the syrup, he remarked, "If you don't eat there isn't anything until lunch time. We aren't not running a hotel."

Flipping one pancake onto his plate, Jared stared at it. Tearing off a small piece he popped it into his mouth and started to chew. His face suddenly turning a pale shade, he leaped up from his chair and ran to the bathroom.

Watching him flee the room, Brennan shook her head, "That was a little mean wasn't it? You knew he was bound to regurgitate if he was presented with food."

Smiling, Booth picked up another piece of bacon. "I'd rather he threw up now and not later in my truck, thank you."

Rolling her eyes, Brennan laughed, "I suppose not." Sipping her coffee, Brennan watched Booth chew his piece of bacon, "After you get back, do you still want to go somewhere?"

Nodding his head, Booth swallowed his bit of bacon, "Oh yeah. I don't want to hang around here all day and listen to my little brother moan and cry which is exactly what he's going to do after he remembers what he did to his wife."

Frowning, Brennan shook her head, "I didn't hear your conversation with him last night. What did he do to Padme?"

Exhaling sharply, Booth stared at his plate, "He hit her. Her parents retired and went back to India and that's where she is now. She may not come back and who would blame her? I think hearing Jared tell me that he hit Padme caused my nightmare last night. I don't really dream about my childhood anymore. I mean I do but not very often. Jared's little trip to the past yesterday must have upset me more than I thought it did."

Reaching out and holding his hand, Brennan smiled, "Are you sure you don't want me to take him to the meetings? I can do it and you can stay here."

Shaking his head, Booth frowned, "Nope. I'll do it. I might look into going to a few Al-anon meetings. Maybe you can go with me."

Nodding her head, Brennan squeezed Booth's hand, "Of course. If you wish to go, I will go with you."

Smiling, Booth lifted her hand and kissed it. "Thanks."

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What do you think of my story? Reviews would be great, thanks.

A/N: Al-anon is a support group of friends and relatives of alcoholics who share their experiences.


	64. Chapter 64

Thank you for your continued interest in my story.

I don't own Bones.

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Sitting in Gordon Wyatt's office, Booth stared at the painting behind his psychiatrist's desk, "That's new isn't?"

Turning to stare at the painting, Gordon smiled, "It's a modern landscape. A little dark; but, I like the colors."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth turned his gaze back to Gordon, "Thanks for seeing me this morning instead of this afternoon. I uh, I've got my hands full right now."

Interested, Gordon asked, "What has you so busy?"

Rubbing under his right eye, the younger man pursed his lips and flared his nostrils, "My brother is staying with me for a few days."

Nodding his head, Gordon folded his hands in his lap, "And Jared is a handful? What has he done to get you so upset?"

Rolling his shoulders, Booth frowned, "Who says I'm upset?"

Chuckling, the chef and part time psychiatrist smiled, "Because you can't sit still and the way you just spoke your brother's name was pretty telling. You practically shot his name out of your mouth."

Rolling his eyes, Booth looked away, "He crossed a line and he hit his wife a few days ago. He was drunk and they both got into an argument and he hit her. Padme actually started it by hitting Jared first; but, for Jared to hit her back instead of talking to her, I just can't . . . You know the first time I worked with Bones we had an argument and I grabbed her. I shouldn't have done that and she slapped the hell out of me. The thing is, even though she hit me, it never crossed my mind to hit her back. No, I mean, it was wrong what Padme did; but, somehow it's just worse that Jared hit her. He. . ." Shaking his head, Booth sighed, "She took off for India and I don't blame her. He ended up on my doorstep and he begged me to help him. . . . God, I was so angry when I heard that he hit Padme that I wanted to beat the shit out of him. It was all I could do to keep my hands off of him. It's bad enough he drinks but now he's hitting women? It's disgusting."

Leaning forward, Gordon asked, "But you didn't hit him did you? You're helping him?"

Clearing his throat, Booth looked at his clenched hands, resting on his lap, "Yeah I mean no, I didn't hit him and yeah I got him into AA. I'm going with him twice a day. Today is the third day. I'm going with him one more day and then he's on his own. Bones and I are leaving the day after to go on vacation."

Nodding his head, Gordon frowned, "I see. You're afraid that Jared is going to interfere with your relationship with Temperance so you're leaving the state, very interesting."

Frowning, Booth shook his head, "What? No, we were going to go on vacation before the idiot showed up. We're going to drive over to West Virginia to see a pile of dirt that Bones wants to see. I'm not sure where we're going to go from there."

Staring at Booth, Gordon leaned back on his couch and remained silent.

Chewing the inside of his mouth, Booth finally continued, "I've been having some really bad dreams lately. So far, I've dreamt about being tor. . . I've dreamt about when I was a POW in Iraq and when I was kidnapped by Melvin Gallagher and he . . . and about my father beating my mother. I think I'm scaring Bones. I wake up and I . . . anyway I'm afraid I'm scaring Bones. I offered to sleep in Parker's room so that I wouldn't keep waking her up; but, she says it isn't necessary."

Nodding his head, Gordon asked, "And why do you think you keep dreaming about being tortured? I assume this started before your brother showed up."

Exasperated, Booth leaned forward, "Who says I was tortured? Don't read too much into it. Those . . . I just . . . I" Looking down, Booth moved his clasped hands up to his stomach."I, uh, don't know why I'm dreaming about that shit and it needs to stop. I haven't dreamt about that stuff for a long time. . . I'm scaring Bones."

Curious, Gordon stared intently at his patient, "Are you sure you don't know why you're having those particular dreams. They all have a common thread and you know it. What happened just before the dreams started?"

Sighing, Booth refused to look at Gordon, "Gallagher was released from prison to go home and die. He, uh, he was convicted of kidnapping a Federal Agent, torture and uh and he was given a life sentence. He has cancer and he's dying so they just let him go home. He just gets to go home."

Rubbing his chin, Gordon nodded his head, "I see. You don't like that do you? Are you afraid he might come after you?"

Shaking his head, Booth frowned, "Nah, the guy called me up a couple of days ago and told me he was sorry and he apologized. Do you believe that crap? He kidnaps me, tortures me, almost kills me and he's sorry. Sorry." Standing, Booth jammed his hands in to his jeans pockets and walked over to the window behind his couch. Removing one hand from his pocket, he pulled the blinds away from the window and watched the soft rain falling outside. The damp grass sparkled in the street lights and looked like they were covered in jewels. "He's sorry."

Watching Booth clench his jaw, Gordon shook his head, "You feel like justice hasn't been served. You don't think he should have been released."

Shaking his head slowly, Booth continued to watch the rain, "A life sentence should be a life sentence. It shouldn't mean life unless you get sick and we're sorry for inconveniencing you, so you just go on home and be with your family while you wait for God to take you. What horse shit. They act like he didn't do anything wrong. They just let him go home. It's not right."

Nodding his head, Gordon responded quietly, "No, it isn't right; but, it's done."

Laughing sardonically, Booth stepped away from the window, "Yeah, it's done." Moving back to the couch, Booth sat down, "Why am I dreaming about Iraq and Dad? They don't have anything to do with Gallagher."

Watching Booth clench and unclench his hands, Gordon replied, "You're dreaming about times when you were helpless and being mistreated by people that had control over you. I think you feel helpless about Gallagher and that makes you remember the times in the past when you were helpless. You didn't get justice for what happened to you as a child and you certainly didn't get justice when you were mistreated as a POW in Iraq. Now a man that did harm you and was serving a sentence for hurting you has been freed and you feel that justice has slipped through the cracks again."

Looking at Gordon, Booth sighed, "How do I fix this? How do I stop the nightmares? I don't want to scare Bones anymore. It's not right to make her put up with this stuff."

Gordon observed the nervous tick that had suddenly appeared in Booth's face, "Has she said that you're scaring her?"

Frowning, Booth shook his head, "Nah, but I can tell that she . . . well, I keep waking her up and sooner or later she's going to think I'm a whack job. Right now she keeps telling me it's okay but I can see in her face that she's worried. I know I would be if I was sleeping next to a nut."

Snorting, Gordon shook his head, "I'd hardly call you a nut. A man under stress yes but not a nut. I think you know the answer to your question though. It's going to take time and distance from the problem. Soon Mr. Gallagher will be dead and when he dies then in a way you'll have closure. He'll be dead and that will be at least one person gone from your life that you despise and who has hurt you. Time will take care of the rest."

Frustrated, Booth glared at Gordon, "In the mean time, I get to have these crazy dreams and wake up crying. Not exactly the image I'd like my girl to carry around with her."

Smiling Gordon placed his hands on his knees, "At last, now we have come to the real problem. You don't want Temperance to see you cry."

Frowning, Booth responded, "Hell no. I don't want her to see that. She needs to know that she can count on me and thinking about me crying in my sleep has to make her think that there's something wrong with me. If she can't count on me then I might as well give up my partnership with her and I can't do that. I need to protect her. I just want her to know that she can count on me and that crying whack job she's been dealing with lately is not who I am."

Leaning forward, Gordon shook his head, "You are not a whack job, Agent Booth and I wish you would quit saying that. You are man under a great deal of stress. A great deal. In the last year, you've had major surgery. You lost several years of your memory and you've managed to retrieve some of it back, but not all of it. You've had to deal with serious personal issues and now you are also dealing with the callous side of justice and a brother that reminds you of your father. All legitimate problems, Booth. All stress inducers. If all you're doing is having a few bad dreams that are causing you to cry then thank God, Booth that's all that's happening. A lesser man would have broken by now. You're just having bad dreams."

Frowning, Booth stared at Gordon. "What about Bones?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Gordon answered, "Talk to her Booth. Just talk to her."

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So what do you think? Reviews would be great. Thanks.


	65. Chapter 65

Thank you for your kind reviews. I'm glad you are enjoying my story.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Entering the apartment, Booth shoved his umbrella in the umbrella stand and called out, "Hey Bones, you here?"

Answering from the kitchen, Brennan called back, "In here."

Entering the kitchen, Booth found his girlfriend making a big bowl of salad. Smiling, he placed his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck, "Hello gorgeous."

Laughing, Brennan turned her head and kissed, Booth, "Hello yourself. How did your session with Gordon go?"

Kissing her cheek, he released her and reached around to snatch a bell pepper slice from the cutting board. Popping it into his mouth, he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a beer. Opening the bottle, he leaned against the counter. "Yeah, it was okay. Where's Jared?"

Resuming slicing her bell pepper, Brennan responded, "He's in Parker's room. He said he doesn't feel well."

Sipping some of his beer, Booth watched his lover working on their lunch.

Finishing the salad, Brennan turned towards Booth, "Get some plates and silverware. We can eat shortly."

Nodding his head, Booth retrieved three plates and forks and took them to the table. Brennan, passing Booth, stopped and placed her hand on his chest. Leaning up and kissing him, she smiled, "Why don't we go for a walk after lunch?"

Returning her kiss, Booth smiled, "Sure, if you don't mind getting wet. If Jared wasn't here I could think of better things to do."

Smiling, Brennan replied, "He'll be gone tomorrow."

Stepping away from her, he positioned the plates and forks on the table where he wanted them, "You got that right."

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Entering Parker's bedroom, Booth found Jared lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, Bones has lunch ready."

Continuing to stare at the ceiling, Jared responded, "I'm not hungry. Besides she made salad again."

Frowning, Booth shook his head, "One, you need to eat and two since neither of us made the lunch then neither of us has a right to complain about what Bones made for us. Now get your ass off of the bed and over to the dining room table. Eat what she puts in front of you and thank your lucky stars she cares enough to make sure you don't go without."

Reluctantly moving off of the bed, Jared jammed his hands into his jeans pockets, "Yeah, alright."

Sitting down at the table, Booth and Jared were surprised to find a plate full of cold baked chicken sitting next to the salad bowl. Smiling Booth grabbed the plate and place two chicken breasts on his plate then dumped a little salad next to the meat.

"Thanks Bones."

Smiling, Brennan placed some salad on her plate, "I had time while you were gone and I baked a whole chicken. There should be enough for leftovers."

Frowning, Jared stared at the chicken breasts on his brother's plate, "Hey, how about giving me one of the breasts."

Placing his hand over his chicken, Booth continued to smile at Brennan, "So do you still want to go for that walk after lunch?"

Sighing, Jared reluctantly picked out the drumsticks and wings and placed them on his plate with a little salad.

Spearing some tomato, Brennan nodded her head, "I looked through the window and the rain appears to be fairly light. Yes, I would still like to take a walk."

Nodding his head, Booth tore a piece of meat from the bone and chewed slowly. Jared, poking his salad, asked, "Got any thousand island dressing?"

Shaking her head, Brennan swallowed her mouthful of salad, "Sorry, we have Italian, French and Ranch."

Sighing, Jared stood up and walked into the kitchen to look in the fridge. Bringing back the French dressing, he sat down and poured some on his salad. Thinking about it, he poured some on his chicken too.

Watching him, Booth shook his head, "Bones and I are going out for awhile. We'll be back in time so we can make the AA meeting."

Poking his salad and chicken, Jared didn't look up, "Yeah, fine."

Puzzled, Brennan asked, "Is there a problem?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Jared didn't look up, "Besides the AA meetings I haven't been out of this apartment for three days. I'm starting to mold."

Startled, Brennan responded, "I don't understand. Do you have mold on your skin? If you . . ."

Placing his hand on Brennan's hand, Booth shook his head, "He just means he's bored."

Staring at Booth and then Jared, Brennan asked, "Would you like to go for a walk with Booth and I?"

Looking up, Jared smiled, "Yes, I would. Thanks for asking."

Frowning, Booth glared at Jared. Brennan seeing Booth's reaction grabbed his hand and smiled, "Have you decided where we're going Wednesday?"

Smiling, Booth turned his head to gaze towards the woman he loved, "Well, I thought we'd drive up to West Virginia and see that dirt pile you want to see and then after that, we'll just pick a road and make random turns. It'll be an adventure. Who knows where we'll end up?"

Squeezing his hand, Brennan smiled, "That does seem very adventurous. It should ensure that will see parts of the country we've never seen before."

Leaning over and kissing her, Booth added, "Of course, we could just pick a hotel room, go to bed and not get out of it until it's time to come back."

Laughing, Brennan shook her head, "You promised that we would take a drive, Booth. Let's at least drive a day or two before we consider your second suggestion."

Rolling his eyes, Jared tore a strip of meat off of his chicken leg and shook his head. "You do remember I'm sitting right here?"

Ignoring his brother, Booth smiled, "Why don't we drive to Adams County, Ohio. They have a pile of dirt there too. It's called the Serpent Mound. I bet that might be pretty cool to see, a dirt pile shaped like a snake."

Impressed, Brennan smiled, "That's correct. It's believed that the Fort Ancient Culture built it around 1070 CE. How do you know about the Serpent Mound?"

Smiling, Booth responded, "I Googled it. You wanted to see a mound in West Virginia so I thought I would mention that if you want to we can drive around and see as many of those things as you want."

Squeezing his hand again, Brennan nodded her head, "Thank you Booth. I think I'd like that."

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Reviews would be welcome. Thanks.


	66. Chapter 66

Thanks to all of you who review my story. The reviews I receive give me incentive to keep writing.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Wednesday arrived and Booth woke up to find Brennan already out of bed. Sitting up, he noticed that the clock on the night stand displayed 6:23. Sliding to the edge, he sat there and rolled his shoulders and neck. Standing he moved over to his dresser and gathered the clothes he wanted to wear for the day and walked into the bathroom. Flipping the overhead light on, he found Brennan sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

Staring at Booth, Brennan frowned, "What?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth smiled, "I didn't say anything. If you want to sit on the bathtub in the dark then I guess that's your business. . . . uh, are you alright?"

Pulling on her right ear, Brennan nodded her head, "Yes, of course."

Puzzled, Booth turned towards the sink and pulled his tooth brush and toothpaste out of the cabinet. Looking over at Brennan, Booth smiled and then turned to brush his teeth.

Studying Booth, Brennan finally stood up and left the bathroom. Booth, concerned, watched her leave the room. Deciding it was better to leave it alone, he finished brushing his teeth and did a quick shave. After changing his clothes, he left the bathroom to find Brennan sitting on the edge of the bed.

Curious and a little concerned, Booth sat down next to her, "What's up?"

Shaking her head, Brennan shook her head, "I was just thinking."

Smiling, Booth placed his arm around his girlfriend, "You're always thinking. This looks different."

Irritated, Brennan shook her head, "Nothing's wrong Booth. I'm just thinking about some things I need to do when we get back from vacation."

Kissing her cheek, Booth stood up, "Speaking of which, I need to kick Jared out and pack the car with our bags. We can eat breakfast later. I want to bug out before someone else shows up with plans to screw up our vacation."

Watching him leave the room, Brennan sighed.

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Watching Jared pull his shoes on and tie the laces, Booth remarked, "Don't forget your AA meeting this evening. Do one once a day for awhile and talk to your sponsor if you need it. Bones and me are going to be gone until next week; so, don't bother calling. This is your chance Jared, don't screw it up. If you can get your act together then maybe, just maybe Padme will take you back. I wouldn't blame her if she says no; but, that's up to her. I can tell you one thing, if she does come back and if I find out you've hit her again, I'll make sure you pay for it. I won't have my family members beat up. In this case, blood is not thicker than water. I'll do to you whatever you do to her."

Rolling his eyes, Jared responded, "Yeah, I get it. I'm sober and I plan to stay that way. As for Padme, I don't know what to say to her. I have a lot of thinking to do."

Sighing, Booth turned to leave Parker's bedroom, "Well, you've made a start anyways."

Leaving the bedroom, Booth gathered up the bags that Brennan had packed and carried them down to the car. Filling up the trunk, Booth slammed it shut and walked back to the apartment. Opening the door, Booth found his brother talking to his girlfriend.

"Thank you for letting me stay, I know I messed up some of your vacation."

Smiling, Brennan shook her head, "You're welcome. I hope you have success, Jared."

Nodding his head, Jared sighed, "God, me too."

Turning, Jared walked over to where Booth was standing. Throwing his arms around his brother, Jared spoke quietly into Booth's ear, "I love you Seeley." Kissing his surprised brother on the cheek, he released Booth and hurried down the hallway, opened the door and left the apartment, closing the door behind him.

Stunned, Booth watched his brother leave the apartment. Amazed, he turned to look at his partner, "Well, I'm shocked."

Her eyes wide, Brennan nodded her head, "Yeah, me too."

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Stopping for breakfast at the Denny's, Booth pulled himself out of the passenger side of Brennan's car, "You know they don't make these cars for big people."

Smiling, Brennan remarked, "It gets better gas mileage than the SUV."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth waited for Brennan to walk around the car. Placing his arm around her shoulder, he smiled, "Eating here should allow us to avoid anyone we know. We're on vacation and no one is talking us out of it."

Entering the diner, Booth pointed to the back of the diner, "There's a free table."

Sitting down at the table, their waitress quickly took their order and left. Booth looking at the pictures on the wall smiled and pointed at the picture of a 66 Galaxy 500. "Pops owned one of those. He has a picture of it. His was painted Royal blue and had a light blue interior. The seats were cloth but Pops said that was great in the summer time. You didn't have to worry about burning yourself sitting on them when the temps were high. He sold it the year after Jared and I moved in with him and Grams. He said he needed something newer that he could rely on. I think he sold it because Grams died and the car reminded him of the drives he and her used to take every Sunday."

Half listening, Brennan listened to her boyfriend talk about his grandfather's love of old cars. Smiling at Booth she thought, "I could be wrong. When we get back from vacation, I'll make sure."

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	67. Chapter 67

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Oooooooooooooooooo

Standing on top of Grave Creek Mound, Booth exclaimed, "Well, I am impressed. You were right. It's bigger than I thought it would be. This is pretty cool."

Smiling Brennan hooked her arm around his, "Yes, it is. Would you like to go to the museum?"

Nodding his head, Booth continued to look around, "Sure, that's why we're here. I'm going to count on you to explain the stuff they have on display though. I don't really know anything about the people who made this mountain out a mole hill."

Walking back down the Mound, Booth enjoyed the fresh air, "I'm glad we came. I just pictured a big pile of dirt, not something this big. We'll have to come back here some day with Parker. He'd love it."

Smiling, Brennan found that she was pleased that her boyfriend was enjoying himself. "There are a lot of very interesting archeological sites in this country if you just know where to look for them."

Reaching the bottom of the mound, Booth noticed a cat stalking a bird nearby. Shaking his head, Booth took a step towards the bird and clapped his hands. The bird taking off in flight forced the cat to run towards the bird and jump after it. Landing back on the ground without the bird, the cat looked back at Booth and then stalked away, his ears twitching and his tail lashing back and forth. Laughing Booth placed his arm around Brennan's shoulder, "I hate cats."

Nodding her head, Brennan remarked, "Especially after the case we had when feral cats had eaten part of the victim before we arrived to retrieve the body."

Nodding his head, Booth grimaced, "Yeah that was pretty gross."

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Sitting in the passenger seat while Brennan drove them down I-70, Booth watched the trees bordering the road. Sighing, he asked, "You know those dreams I've been having, the ones where I wake up crying?"

Keeping her eyes on the road, Brennan responded, "Yes."

Folding his arms across his chest, Booth turned to stare at his lover, "I ah, I've . . . Gordon seems to think I've been dreaming about times in my life when I didn't have control over what was happening to me. He thinks it's because Gallagher has been let out of prison. I just thought I'd let you know that. He thinks once Gallagher is dead, I'll probably quit having those dreams; so, you don't need worry about it. I'm going to be okay."

Shaking her head, Brennan glanced at Booth and then back at the road, "I'm not worried about your dreams, Booth. I told you that. I've had dreams where I've woke up crying. It isn't something you have control over. It just happens."

Suddenly concerned, Booth unfolded his arms and placed his hand on her shoulder, "You wake up from dreams crying? I haven't seen you do that."

Keeping her eyes on the road in front of her, Brennan replied, "I haven't done it lately but I have done it in the past. I accept that I don't have control over my dreams and that there isn't anything I can do about them. That's why I don't worry about your dreams. I know about your past Booth. I know what you've been through and I don't think crying in your sleep is that important. You're just reliving painful episodes in your life. Gordon is probably right. Once Gallagher is dead, your anger over his being released from prison will dissipate and your dreams will occur less often."

Rubbing his hand across her shoulder, Booth smiled, "Wow, I thought you didn't believe in psychology."

Smiling, Brennan glanced at Booth and then back at the road, "I don't. In this case, I am using logic."

Releasing her shoulder, Booth leaned back in his seat, "Yeah, logic." Glancing out of the side window, he muttered, "Logic my ass."

Turning back to look at Brennan, Booth caught her looking at him, "When you have your nightmares, what are they about?"

Gripping the steering wheel a little tighter, Brennan answered, "Mostly when I was in Foster care. The first two families that took care of me were pretty mean. It was the second family that actually . . . they were very unkind. Someone reported them to Child Welfare and that's when I was removed from their house. The last family I stayed with was very nice. I stayed with them until I graduated from high school and then entered college. They had two of their own children and one other foster child."

Studying the road for a few minutes, Brennan continued, "Sometimes I dream about when you were shot by Pam Noonan and I had been told that you had died. I cry for you in my dream and sometimes I'm still crying when I wake up."

Sighing, Booth rubbed her arm, "Bones, I'm really sorry that happened. I remember some of the things that happened around that time. I've read the case files; so, I know what happened. Then you told me about Sweets' crap and I can see why you'd cry about it. You were used and that's tough to take."

Shaking her head, she glanced at Booth and then back at the road, "I don't cry in my dream because I was used, Booth. I cry because I thought you were dead. You were my friend and your death was very devastating to me. Besides Angela and Hodgins, you were the only person that I could count on. You, Angela and Hodgins were the only ones in my life that tried to understand me and not condemn me for my idiosyncrasies. When I thought you'd died that left me with a big loss in my life. Your death made me realize that allowing myself to become close to others allowed me to be vulnerable. It made me realize love could be a very disabling emotion. For a long time, I tried to keep you at arm's length because of that. I didn't want to become too close to you and then one day find my life destroyed because you'd died. It took awhile for me to see that it's actually a risk we must all take if we want to have a future with anyone and not remain alone. I'm tired of being alone. I've been alone too long."

Staring at Brennan, Booth cleared his throat, "You know I told Sweets I forgave him for what he did. I don't want to hold onto stuff like that. I have enough to deal with and my faith tells me that I should at least try. 'If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.' I believe that too."

Nodding her head, Brennan relaxed her hands on the steering wheel. "You should do what is best for you, Booth and if that means forgiving Sweets then I think you should. I still haven't made up my mind about that issue yet."

Smiling, Booth leaned over and kissed her, "Do whatever is right for you, Bones. Besides, it'll drive the kid batty if you hold out for awhile. That might make him realize we aren't pushovers."

Flicking her eyes at her boyfriend, Brennan smirked, "Well, one of us isn't a pushover."

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Stopping at the Bob Evan's Restaurant in Zanesville, Ohio, Booth pulled himself out of the car and waited for Brennan to walk around the car. Noticing the big American flag flapping in the brisk wind on a nearby pole, he remarked, "It's getting pretty breezy. Those dark clouds on the horizon might mean rain. Want to stop here for the day? We can find a motel and just relax.

Studying the black clouds in the distance, Brennan nodded her head, "Yes, there isn't any reason to drive in storms."

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	68. Chapter 68

Thank you for your continued interest in my story.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooo

Suddenly awake, Booth heard a roaring sound, like a train coming right towards them. Leaping out of bed, he dragged Brennan with him. Pulling her into the bathroom, he picked her up and placed her in the tub. He then stepped in the tub and had her lie down, with him crouched over her. The roaring intensifying, Booth grabbed his lover's hand and held onto it tightly. Leaning closer to her, he kissed her and then told her he loved her. Her eyes locked on to his face, Brennan nodded her head and told him that she loved him. That they couldn't hear each other didn't matter, they both knew what had been said and they were prepared.

Feeling the walls vibrating and seeing ceiling tiles fall from the ceiling in the other room, Booth crouched lower trying to cover Brennan's body with his. Suddenly the lights in the bathroom went off and the A/C silenced.

The roaring outside slowly moving away, Booth glanced at the bathroom doorway and waited to see what would happen. As the sound moved away from them and became more distant, Booth stood up and looked down at Brennan, "Stay here. I'm going to check it out."

Shaking her head, Brennan sat up, "I'm coming with you."

Frowning, Booth licked his lips, "I'm just going to open the blinds and look out. I'm not going outside yet."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan stood up, "We'll look together."

Keeping his right hand in front of him, he kept his left hand clenched around Brennan's hand. Leaving the bathroom, the partners slowly moved through the dark to the front of their hotel room. Stumbling over the fallen ceiling tiles, Booth stepped over to the window and lifted the blinds. Greeted by a dark courtyard, Booth shook his head, "I can't see a damn thing." Reaching over and feeling the wall, he found and flipped the light switch up. Finding that the room was still dark, he complained, "No power."

Nodding her head, Brennan felt her way over to where her purse was and felt around until she found it. Rummaging around in her purse, she pulled out a flashlight and handed it to Booth. Rummaging around again, she found a second smaller flashlight. Turning it on, she looked for her luggage, "Might as well get dressed."

Nodding his head, Booth used his flashlight to find his watch. Picking it up, he found it displayed 3:16. Looking through his luggage he found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Dressing quickly, he noticed Brennan checking her phone. Turning towards Booth, she shrugged her shoulders, "No bars."

Slipping his shirt over his head, Booth responded, "Maybe the towers are down in the area."

Slipping her slacks on, she then grabbed a blouse. As she was buttoning it up, someone started pounding on the motel room door.

Walking over to the door, Booth noticed Brennan buttoning the last button and opened it.

The manager, relieved to see Booth, smiled, "Are you and the misses okay?"

Nodding his head, Booth frowned, "Sure, we're alright. What happened? It sounded like a tornado."

Sighing, Fred Spalding replied, "Yeah, as far as I can tell, yeah. I'm checking on everyone. Your room is at the end of the courtyard and I was afraid you might have been hurt."

Shaking his head, Booth asked, "How come?"

Pointing up, Fred responded, "The roof is gone on some of the upstairs rooms. Luckily I didn't have anyone in the last two rooms up there and the people staying in the room next to the last two came tearing into my office as soon as the roaring started. Thank God they did, because part of the roof is off of their room too. It looks like everyone is okay though."

Using his flashlight, Booth looked for his shoes. Slipping them on, he asked the manager, "You need me to help you check on people?"

Shaking his head, Fred answered, "No, you were the last room on this side. I checked them as I made my way around the court. My son checked the rooms upstairs. He couldn't get past the last two rooms so he came down to tell me. He's checking the other side of the court right now, but it looks like all the damage was done on this side and just these last six rooms. I don't know why the ceiling held; but, I need you and the misses to grab your gear and get out of here. I don't know if this room is safe. I have another room you can stay in across the court. No electricity but at least it's out of the rain."

Grabbing their luggage, Booth watched Brennan finish putting her shoes on. Stepping out of the room, Fred used his flashlight to light the path of Booth and Brennan so they wouldn't trip over anything. Using her flashlight, she played it over her car as she passed it; but, it was too dark to see if there was any real damage done to the car. Looking around, Fred moaned, "Man, there is a lot of stuff out here and I don't think half of it belongs to me. Please God don't let me find a body tomorrow."

oooooooooooooooooooo

Sitting on the bed in the oppressively hot room, Booth glanced at the open door leading out to the courtyard. Since the air conditioner wasn't working they had decided to prop the door open. Claiming not to be sleepy, Booth sat on the bed while Brennan laid next to him. Listening to distant sirens, he knew that there had to have been casualties from the storm. Pulling his shirt off, Booth dropped it on the night stand and then leaned against the headboard.

Sleepily, Brennan asked, "What time is it?"

Moving his watch face close to his eyes, Booth shook his head, "It's 5:20."

Sitting up, his girlfriend responded, "I heard some sirens a little while ago."

Nodding his head, Booth sighed, "Yeah, I'm sure people got hurt. I'm just hoping no one was killed."

Leaning against her lover, Brennan remarked, "I'd like to volunteer my services to the coroner's office. They may be overwhelmed if this was a super tornado."

Nodding his head, Booth looked at Brennan and frowned, "When the sun comes up, we'll check the car and make sure it's driveable, then we can see if the roads are passable. Maybe we can find some place to eat. If not, we'll just have to see if we can find an open grocery store. After that, we can drive over to the police station and see if they'd like your help. It's a good thing we filled up the gas tank before we came to the motel. If the electricity is out then the gas pumps won't work."

Startled by a crashing sound coming from the courtyard, the partners rolled out of bed and hurried to the doorway. Stepping out into the courtyard, they found Fred walking down the center of the courtyard.

Still too dark to make out details, Booth called out, "What happened?"

Stopping, Fred scratched his head, "The upper floors above your old room and the one next to it just collapsed into the lower rooms. It's a good thing I had you move out of your room."

Nodding his head, Booth asked, "Have you heard any news yet? Do you know how bad it was?"

Sadly, Fred nodded his head, "Yeah, it's bad. They're reporting deaths and I guess people are missing. The police want everyone to stay put. They don't want anyone to get hurt driving around right now. There are a bunch of trees down in the roads along with power lines and some broken water and gas mains. This motel is total electric; so, at least we don't have to worry about explosions. My wife is afraid of gas and we went total electric five years ago. We also have solar panels on some of the roofs and a back up generator; so, I have electricity in the office and in our apartment plus it runs the ice machine, the vending machines and the laundromat. Sheila is making coffee and we have cereal and milk. If you're hungry, go over to the office. I have a little dining area and a television for travelers there. I have cable and I've got the local news on right now. I have a phone using a land line if you want to call anyone."

Smiling, Booth nodded his head, "Thanks."

Shrugging his shoulders, Fred replied, "All part of the service. I've been a motel owner for twelve years now and my wife and I tried to plan for different emergencies. The solar panels were her idea. She's pretty smart."

Returning to the inside of the room, Booth retrieved his shirt and shoes while Brennan put her shoes back on. Following Booth back to the door she watched him place his hands in his jeans pockets as he made sure he had the room key. Locking the door, he placed his arm around Brennan's shoulders and sighed, "This is turning into a hell of a vacation."

Smiling, Brennan shook her head, "It is what it is, Booth. It's fine. We're safe and unhurt and fortunately, we picked a motel that is being run by very competent people."

Walking over to the manager's office, Booth noticed the lights spilling out of the widows. Stepping into the cool room, Booth smiled, "Hey, the A/C is on."

Turning, Sheila Spalding smiled, "Fred complained about the cost of the solar panels and the back up generator until the first time we had a power failure and the A/C worked. I have coffee, cereal, milk, orange juice, toast and preserves and fresh fruit. Help yourself."

Walking closer to the television, Brennan watched the reporter give a detailed list of damage to Zanesville and the surrounding area.

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What do you think of my story?

A/N: I've had three tornadoes hit my property. One took the roof off of my brand new garage. Nine years before that a tornado picked up a shed in my back yard, snapped the hurricane straps like they were taffy and dumped it in a sheep pasture about 800 feet away. The third tornado destroyed the house across the street and dumped part of that house in our front yard and the property next door. Tornadoes really do sound like a train coming towards you but it also has a thrumming sound in it too. I hope you never hear one.


	69. Chapter 69

Thank you for your continued interest in my story.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Calling the Sheriff's office for Muskingum County, Booth found himself talking to an overworked deputy, "My name is FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. My Partner and I are in town and we would like to volunteer our services if you can use them. My partner is Dr. Temperance Brennan. She's a forensic anthropologist and works with the FBI identifying bodies."

The harried deputy, not sure what to do with a forensic anthropologist, shook his head, "Yeah, thanks, we really have all the help we need. Thanks for the offer though. It would probably be better if you just stayed where you are. A lot of the roads have problems right now and if you're an outsider you could get into trouble wandering around the area right now. I-70 has been shut down for most of the morning; but, we have workers removing trees from the highway. We think it will be open in a few more hours. Just stay where you are and when the highway has been opened it will be announced on the television."

Trying to be of help, Booth asked, "Do you think I could talk to the Sheriff? I really think we could be of help."

Trying to be diplomatic, the deputy responded, "The Sheriff is busy, Sir. I can assure you that we don't need the help."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth ended the call. Turning towards Brennan, Booth frowned, "The Deputy wasn't interested. I'm sure they're overwhelmed and since I can't talk to the Sheriff I guess we better just stay put for now. He said I-70 will be open in a few hours. He doesn't want us driving around. He's probably worried about looters."

Sheila, eavesdropping, remarked, "I would tell you to drive over to the police station; but, the TV said that it took a hit and they had to move their operations to the Sheriff's office. The police Chief is probably out with the Sheriff doing search and rescue right now."

Nodding his head, Booth picked up his coffee cup and drank some of the hot liquid, "We understand. Disasters can sever normal lines of communication and they have their hands full with the local population. I'm sure they don't want to add outsiders to their list of problems."

Chuckling, Fred added, "Not to mention, the Sheriff's office had a major dispute with the FBI last year over jurisdiction of a murder case and I'm pretty sure he won't want you around if he can help it. He, uh, well, he's not happy with the FBI right now. The case involved his cousin and . . . well, If I were you, I'd just forget about it. You mean well; but, he's just going to turn down any help you offer."

Frowning, Booth shrugged his shoulders, "I've been involved in a few of those disputes myself. They can be pretty messy."

Nodding his head, Fred advised, "Just stay here and when I-70 opens up then get out of here. You'll be better off."

Shaking her head, Brennan watched the reporter on WHIZ report on the widespread destruction in Muskingum County. Turning towards Booth, "As soon as it's possible, I'd like to call Cam and see if she can call the Sheriff's office and volunteer some of my interns services."

Nodding his head, Booth turned towards Fred, "Do you think we can call Washington D.C. on your land line?"

Shaking his head, Fred replied, "You can try; but, I tried to call my sister in Chicago and I kept getting a recording saying all circuits are busy."

Pursing his lips, Booth placed his cup down on the table and sighed, "Bones, we'll call Cam as soon as we can. We may have to wait until we get on the road and get near a tower that works."

Crossing her arms, Brennan replied, "I really detest politics."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Just before the sun set for the day, an announcement was made on WHIZ that I-70 was open. Paying their bill, Booth thanked the Spaldings for taking care of them and they left. Once they were on I-70, Brennan drove while Booth gave her a running commentary on the destruction he could see from the road. Once they were in Licking county Booth's phone rang.

Surprised, Booth took it out of his pocket and noticed the phone number, "Pops, hey is everything okay?"

Concerned, Hank Booth responded, "Yeah, we're okay here. I heard about the trouble in Ohio and I wanted to make sure you weren't over there. I've been trying to call you since early this morning; but, I kept getting voice mail."

Licking his lips, Booth decided to be honest, "Yeah, Bones and I were in Zanesville when it was hit by a tornado. We're okay though. We didn't have any bars on our phones so we couldn't call anyone. The motel had a land line; but, they asked us to limit the calls to local numbers. The circuits were over loaded for long distance calls."

Relieved, Hank smiled, "Well, as long as you and Temperance are fine then that's all that matters. I'll call Parker and let him know you're okay."

Frowning, Booth responded, "No, I'll call Parker now."

Smiling, Hank replied, "Fine. Jared called three times about you; so, I'll call him. . . Shrimp, he told me what you did for him. I'm really proud of you for doing that."

Clearing his throat, Booth frowned, "He's my brother, Pops. I had to at least try."

Proud, Hank nodded his head, "Well, no matter, I'm proud of you. I'll hang up so you can call Parker."

Hearing the call end, Booth turned to face Brennan, "No one knows where we're at and they're worried that we might have been caught by the tornado. I need to call Parker. Pops is going to call Jared. As soon as I'm done with Parker I'll call Cam."

Nodding her head, Brennan advised, "Call Dad when you've finished talking to Cam."

Placing his hand on her shoulder, Booth smiled, "I guess we should have given someone an itinerary."

Shaking her head, Brennan responded, "I think that would have defeated the randomness we were supposed to be doing."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

After calling Parker and Max, Booth then called Cam and Charlie and made sure they knew that he and Brennan were all right. He also arranged for Cam to call the Sheriff and see if he needed help from the Jeffersonian. He made sure Cam knew that Brennan would pay for all plane tickets and accommodation for any intern that volunteered to help with the disaster.

Irritated, Cam shook her head, "I can't believe they wouldn't even talk to you let alone take you up on your offer to help."

Staring at the road ahead, Booth responded, "Politics, Cam. You know how it is."

Ending the calls, Booth watched the scenery for awhile. "That was the first tornado I've ever had to deal with. It's really true that they sound like a train heading towards you."

Watching the road ahead, Brennan remarked, "I've been in several hurricanes; but, that was the first tornado for me too. I must say that I would like it to also be my last."

Smiling, Booth leaned over and kissed his girlfriend on the cheek, "You got that right."

Arriving at Columbus, Brennan took I-270 north and got off at East Broad Street. Pulling into the parking lot for the Ramada, Brennan smiled, "I could use a nice shower and a nice cool salad for dinner."

Laughing, Booth nodded his head, "Yeah, me too. Well not the salad, the shower. You can't say that we haven't had an interesting vacation so far."

Shaking her head, Brennan smiled, "No, I would be lying if I said such a thing."

Pulling himself out of the car, Booth stretched and looked around, "Clear skies, full moon, it looks good to me."

Popping the trunk, Brennan exited her car, "I agree. It looks like it will be a very nice uneventful evening."

Shaking his head, Booth walked around to the trunk and placed his arms around Brennan, "Not too uneventful I hope."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

What do you think of my story?

Grace - if you are still reading this, this story is AU. That means alternate universe. I am not recapping the show. This story is an alternate view of the show so there are major changes such as Booth's memory problems, he didn't go to Afghanistan, Brennan was in Maluku for only two weeks and then came home, Hannah is not in this story and the biggest change of all, they became a couple months earlier than in the show. I hope this clears up any misunderstandings. If you will log in I can PM you if you have any questions.


	70. Chapter 70

Thanks for the reviews and favors. They are very encouraging.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

_He'd tried to call her several times over the months. He'd sent her numerous emails and had dropped by the Jeffersonian twice; but, each time he had been rebuffed. No matter how much he wanted to speak to her, to get her to reconsider working with him, he was met with obstructions. The latest obstruction, one Zach Addy, shook his head, "Sorry Agent Booth. She's getting ready to go out on a dig and she won't be back for three months."_

_Frowning, he felt his jaw clench, "Look, I just want a couple of minutes of her time."_

_Shrugging his shoulders, Zach responded, "You want something I can't give you."_

_Frustrated, he left the Jeffersonian and started walking down the sidewalk towards his truck. He'd almost reached it when he heard yelling to his right. Turning his head, he saw her. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was glaring at a young man who was yelling at her. Curious, he opened the door to his truck, slid onto the seat, opened his window and hunched down trying to observe without being seen by the feuding couple._

_Shouting, the young man threw his hands wide, "I thought we meant something to each other. We're living together and you wait until today to tell me that you're going on some damn dig? What the hell, Temperance? I'm not your room mate, we're living together."_

_Shaking her head, she frowned, "I told you I applied for this dig two months ago. You don't listen when I talk to you. You only hear the things that you want to hear, Peter."_

_Angry, Peter snarled, "You are such a cold bitch, Temperance. Damn it. It takes two to have a relationship and I'm doing all of the heavy lifting."_

_Sighing, she sadly answered, "You just want someone to have sex with on a regular basis. You aren't interested in relationships, just easy sex."_

_Shocked, Peter shook his head, "You have problems you know that? I mean you make me so damn mad sometimes. Maybe we should break up."_

_Smiling sadly, she unfolded her arms and answered, "Yes, I agree. Please have your things out of my apartment by tonight. I'll let the super know that my apartment will be unoccupied while I'm gone so he can check on it for me once in a while."_

_Furious, Peter snarled, "That's what you want? Fine you got it." Turning, he stomped off down the sidewalk. Sad that another personal relationship had failed, she turned and walked back to the Jeffersonian entrance. Pausing, she watched Peter's form disappear in the distance._

_Shaking his head, he sat up straighter and watched the look of sadness clearly showing on her face as she entered the Jeffersonian._

Opening his eyes, Booth turned his head to stare at the woman he loved. Turning on his side, he pulled her closer to him and held her tightly in his arms.

Concerned, Brennan asked, "Are you alright? Did you have a bad dream?"

Shaking his head, he nuzzled her neck, "No. I just . . . I love you Temperance. I want you to know that."

Smiling, Brennan closed her eyes, "I do know that Booth. I know."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Eating breakfast at the Ihop on Sawmill drive, Booth fiddled with his fork, "So, since we're in the area, I was thinking me might drive over to Wapakoneta and see the Armstrong Air and Space Museum."

Sipping her coffee, Brennan asked, "Where is Wapakoneta?"

Picking up a piece of bacon and tearing it in half, Booth stared at the two pieces, "About an hour and half drive from here, to the Northwest of Columbus. We can get to it if we take Route 33."

Smiling, Brennan placed her cup down, "It only seems fair that since we saw the mound because I wanted to see it, that we should see this museum because you want to see it."

Smiling, Booth popped a piece of the bacon in his mouth. Chewing it, he finally swallowed and picked up his coffee cup, "Great. I wanted to see it a few years ago when I was in the area; but, I ended up going back to D.C. without seeing it."

Stirring her oatmeal, Brennan asked, "Do you still want to see the Serpent Mound?"

Nodding his head, Booth responded, "Oh yeah, I Googled it last night. As soon as we tour the museum we can take I75 South to Dayton and then Route 73 south. It'll take us about 2 and a half to three hours to get there. We'll have plenty of time to see the serpent this afternoon."

Spooning up some oatmeal, Brennan watched her boyfriend cut his waffle in to small pieces. Pouring syrup over each fluffy waffle square, Booth then forked a square into his mouth. Chewing slowly, he looked up to see her staring at him. "What?"

Shaking her head, Brennan asked, "Are you happy, Booth?"

Surprised, Booth swallowed his waffle and placed his fork down, "Am I happy? Of course I'm happy, can't you tell?"

Unsure why she was pursuing the topic, Brennan said softly, "I just want you to be happy, Booth. I don't want you to regret having a relationship with me."

Frowning, Booth reached over and placed his hand over hers, "Bones, I have exactly what I want. You are who I want. I'm happy. I've probably never been as happy as I am right now. I love you don't you get it? You make me happy."

Sighing, Brennan smiled, "I just wanted to make sure that the reality of our relationship is what you thought it would be. I've had a lot of relationships in my life; but, never with someone who actually loved me."

Swallowing, Booth squeezed her hand, "Bones, those guys, they were just stupid. They didn't know the good person they had in their life. I do and I love you. I'm happy and I hope you are too." Anxiously staring at Brennan, he rubbed her hand.

Reaching over and clasping his hand, Brennan responded, "I'm happy too, Booth."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

What do you think of my story?


	71. Chapter 71

I hope you are enjoying Booth and Brennan's vacation. They're still wandering around Ohio.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Standing on the overlook, Booth looked out at the Serpent Mound, "This is cool, Bones. It does look like a snake."

Smiling, Brennan hooked her arm around Booth's arm, "It is fascinating."

Patting her hand, Booth asked, "Want to hike around it and get a closer look?"

Nodding her head, his girl friend answered, "Yes, would you like me to explain what the mound is?"

Walking away from the overlook, Booth searched for a way to get to the trail with Brennan still holding his arm. "Sure, go ahead."

Her attention divided between Booth's presence and the site of the serpent before them on the trail, Brennan explained, "It's the largest serpent effigy in the world. It extends 1,370 feet and rises in height from one foot to three feet. There is some controversy over whether or not the Fort Ancient society built it or the Adena Culture built it. There are several burial sites near the mound but no remains were buried in the effigy. The Serpents coils align with the two solstice and two equinox events each year."

Impressed Booth looked over the mound, "So, it's like a big calendar."

Nodding her head, Brennan continued, "Oh, you might find this interesting, the mound was built on a plateau that was actually where a meteorite had struck in the past. The meteorite struck this area in the Permian Period which was around 250 million years ago."

Smiling, Booth pointed towards the serpentine mound and remarked, "We have to bring Parker here to see this. He'd get a real kick out of this."

Pleased that Booth was interested, Brennan hugged his arm, "Yes, we should."

Oooooooooooooooooo

Stopping at the Hampton Inn in Maysville, Brennan sat in the car watching Booth unbuckle his seat belt, "I thought we might drive up to Berlin, Ohio tomorrow."

Looking at his girlfriend, Booth smiled, "Sure, what's up there?"

Picking up her purse, she answered, "The Berlin Craft Mall. Angela told me about it and said that if we were in that area that we wouldn't be disappointed if we shopped there. They sell furniture, crafts, quilts, jewelry, candles and a lot of other things."

Interested, Booth leaned over and kissed his lover, "Sounds good. We should do that."

Concerned, Brennan asked, "Are you sure? We seem to be going to places that I want to see. We've only been to one place that you wanted to see."

Frowning, Booth shook his head, "Hey, so far the things you've wanted to see were pretty cool. You haven't heard me complain have you? No, you haven't. I didn't really have a plan for this vacation, Bones. I don't really care where we go as long as we're together. This is my idea of a good vacation. I'm seeing things I've never seen before. I'm with you. Hey, I'm enjoying myself so don't worry about wanting to see specific things. I'm fine with it. You want to go to Berlin, Ohio then we'll go to Berlin, Ohio. "

Smiling, Brennan leaned over and kissed Booth.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The next day, driving along Route 16 just past Newark, Booth noticed a garage sale sign, "Bones, a garage sale up ahead, let's stop."

Curious, Brennan watched for more signs and soon found the house. Stopping, Booth grinned, "Hey, a multi-family garage sale, that's even better."

Exiting the car, Booth walked up the driveway and into the garage where the sale was being held. Smiling at the young girl sitting near the entrance, Booth asked, "When did your sale start?"

Smiling the teenager replied, "This morning. Business is kind of slow; but, I guess it's because we had rain earlier."

Nodding Booth moved around the interior of the garage looking at the items for sale on the various tables. Getting to the end of the long table in the back of the garage, Booth smiled. Leaning over he picked up a blue carnival glass platter. Holding it up so he could see it better, he found a pattern of grapes and grape leaves. Checking the plate carefully he found that it had no chips or cracks. Pleased he turned and asked the girl, "How much for this?"

Checking her notebook, the girl frowned, "My brother wants fifteen dollars for it."

Frowning, Booth stared at the plate and then at the girl, "No way. Your brother isn't asking enough for it. I mean it's a garage sale; but, still, I'll give you twenty-five for it."

Surprised the girl shrugged her shoulders, "Well, okay, if you want to."

Carrying the plate over to the girl, Booth smiled, "I want to."

Handing her the money, the girl smiled, "Tim bought it at a garage sale for a dollar."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth responded, "It's probably worth about 50 to 100 dollars if I wanted to sell it, which I don't."

Nodding her head, Cindy placed the money in a Tupperware box. "I'll tell him. Maybe he can find some more of that at other garage sales."

Smiling, Booth walked back to the car. Entering the passenger side, Booth handed the plate to Brennan, "Carnival glass. I paid 25 dollars for it but it's worth any where from 50 to 100 bucks."

Studying the plate, Brennan pursed her lips, "Perhaps we should stop at more garage sales."

Grinning, Booth took the plate back and ran his hand over the design, "Yeah, especially if I can find more carnival glass."

Curious, Brennan asked, "Why do you know the value of carnival glass? I've only seen one piece of it in your apartment."

Still studying the glass, Booth answered, "Grams collected carnival glass. She took me with her when she went to garage sales and auctions. I do own more than just the bowl in the kitchen. It's all boxed up and put away in my closet in my bedroom. When Parker was a toddler he broke a vase I had; so I packed it all up and stowed it out of the way. Some day, when we get a house, I'll display some of it."

Oooooooooooooooo

Reviews would be great, thank you.


	72. Chapter 72

Thank your kind reviews. Mphs95 and daisesndaffidols were not happy with the Sheriff's office in chapter 69 and wanted a little payback.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Coming upon two more garage sales, Booth had Brennan stop and let him look. Curious, Brennan decided to see what Booth found so fascinating.

"Wow, Bones, I can't believe you've never been to a garage sale. My Grams loved them. She used to drag me and Jared around town on Saturday mornings and hit as many as she could before lunch time. Then we'd go get a hamburger or something and then we'd help her unload her treasures into the house. If we had to be at practice or a game that day then we had to get up at sunrise and hit as many sales as we could before she drove us over to the school. Pops worked a lot of weekends and he liked us to go with Grams to help her out."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan frowned, "My parents didn't go to them and I never had a reason to attend one."

Placing his arm around her shoulders as they walked up the driveway to the next garage sale, Booth shook his head, "You'd be surprised what you can find at one of these. I once found a coca cola sign in really good shape and the guy selling it only wanted five bucks. I tried to tell him that it was probably worth more; but, he said it was junk and he just wanted to get rid of it. I tried to give him twenty bucks for it; but, he said not to worry about it."

Spying a carnival glass bowl, Booth removed his arm from his girlfriend's shoulders and picked up the Fenton Holly Green bowl and smiled. Pointing towards the leaves imprinted in the glass, Booth remarked, "Grams had one just like this one." Admiring the pattern, Booth finally looked at the lady sitting at the end of the table, "So how much do you want for this?"

Staring at the bowl, the lady responded, "I was thinking 40 dollars."

Nodding his head, Booth put it back down on the table. Moving away from the bowl, the lady asked, "You think that's too much?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth responded, "Yeah, I do. If you were in a shop it would probably cost anywhere from 50 to 60 bucks."

Shrugging her shoulders, the lady frowned, "I thought so that's why I was asking for 40 dollars."

Nodding his head, Booth turned to Brennan, "Hey, you interested in Avon bottles, I see a cute. . .

Startled the lady running the garage sale exclaimed, "Uh oh, what's going on?"

Turning, Booth stared down the driveway to see a State Policeman walking towards him, "Sir, you wouldn't happen to be Special Agent Seeley Booth would you?"

Surprised, Booth responded by taking his badge out of his pocket. Holding it up, he answered, "Yeah, what can I do for you?"

Moving his gaze towards Brennan, Trooper McKenzie smiled, "Dr. Brennan, due to an unfortunate misunderstanding two days ago, the Sheriff's department in Muskingum County turned down your generous offer to help with the mess they have because of the tornado. The Sheriff has asked that we try to locate you and ask that you return to the county. He apologizes for the misunderstanding and he requests your assistance and Agent Booth's help of course in the current disaster."

Walking over to where the trooper was standing, Brennan responded, "Of course, we will drive back to Zanesville."

Smirking, Trooper McKenzie replied, "I'm supposed to give you an escort. The governor insisted."

Walking towards their car, Booth shook his head, "Well this is going to be interesting."

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Arriving in Muskingum County, the state trooper drove over to the Sheriff's office with Brennan following closely behind him. Parking on the side of the road next to the Sheriff's office, Brennan pulled in behind him. Exiting their car, Booth and Brennan watched the state trooper exit his car and walk over to where they were standing.

"If you'll follow me, Sir. . . Doctor."

Nodding her head, Brennan glanced around, "It appears that this part of the town was spared."

Trooper McKenzie looked around and back towards the Sheriff's office, "Most of the damage was done in the northwest part of town but it hop scotched around and it hit other sections of the county too. The damn thing did some pretty serious damage, climbed back in the sky, jumped a few miles and then came back down or maybe there were two tornadoes. I don't really know. Either way, there is a hell of a mess."

Following the trooper Booth glanced at Brennan and then the trooper's back, "Try to be patient Bones."

Irritated, Brennan didn't look at Booth, "I'm always patient."

Rolling his eyes, Booth smiled, "Okay."

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Approaching the Sheriff's office, Booth noticed two National Guardsmen standing in front of the entrance to the building and several army vehicles in the parking lot as well as a few parked on the curb of the street. Before they could enter the building, a man in fatigues and wearing bird insignia approached them, a master sergeant following him.

"Dr. Brennan? Agent Booth?"

Nodding her head, Brennan responded, "Yes."

Holding out his right hand, Colonel Colfax smiled, "Thanks for coming back, Dr. Brennan." Shaking Brennan's hand, the colonel then shook Booth's hand, "It was crazy the other day and I don't think the deputy that talked to you knew who you were and the valuable assistance you were offering. The governor's office got a call from the Jeffersonian explaining what happened and the Sheriff had the State Police on alert to see if they could find you. We did try to call you; but, either your phones are turned off or you were in an area that had poor cell service. Still, I see you were found and I appreciate you coming back."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth pulled out his phone and turned it on, "We're on vacation. After we called our families to let them know we were okay we shut off our phones for privacy."

Nodding his head, Colonel Colfax frowned, "Sure, I understand. Still it was good of you to come back. The Sheriff isn't here right now. He's still in search and rescue mode with the Police Chief. I'm in charge of the disaster for the county; so, really, you'll be working with my people if that's alright?"

Glancing at Booth, Brennan then watched the State Trooper walk back to his car, "Of course, I assume that you have some place set up to bring in victims that need identification?"

Nodding his head again, the Colonel frowned, "Yeah, we've taken over the parking lot at Zane State College. If you like, Master Sergeant Zimmerman can go with you and show you where it's at. He can stay with you and be of any assistance you need. We'll make a reservation for you at the Hampton Inn. They have utilities and are open for business."

Glancing at the Sergeant, Brennan remarked, "I'm parked on the street."

Pointing towards the street, Zimmerman smiled, "Lead the way, Doctor."

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Following the Sergeant's directions, Brennan drove while Booth turned to look at the occupant of the back seat, "So, who asked for us to come back? The Sheriff or your boss?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Zimmerman smiled, "Does it matter? The Governor almost had a stroke when he found out that you and Dr. Brennan were shown the door."

Smiling, Booth turned back around to watch the road.

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So what do you think of my story so far?


	73. Chapter 73

Thanks for the kind reviews. They have been very encouraging. Readership is down and so are reviews for my stories so I'm glad you are still reading this story. Thank you.

I don't own Bones.

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Two days later, Brennan was sitting on a chair outside of a tent in the parking lot of Zane State College sipping from a bottle of water. Booth squatting on the ground near her shook his head, "I talked to Zimmerman and he thinks we have all the unknowns we're going to get. Everyone has been accounted for in the county and we just have the six bodies that were sent over from that motel that was destroyed and the three found in some abandoned building."

Nodding her head, Brennan sighed, "I'm afraid that the three found in the abandoned building are going to be a problem. They were all teenagers and probably run-aways. I'm going to have their remains sent to the Jeffersonian so I can do a more thorough job and have access to better resources. I don't want them to be forgotten."

Standing, Booth watched as a Sheriff's car pulled up several feet away. Watching the Sheriff exit his car, Booth stood with his hands on his hips as the Sheriff made his way over to where they were.

"Dr. Brennan, I want to thank you for coming back and helping us out. My deputy didn't know what a forensic anthropologist was when your services were offered to him. He does now."

Standing, Brennan nodded her head, "We've identified the victims from the motel; but, the ones found in the abandoned building are still unknown. I plan to have their remains sent to the Jeffersonian for further evaluation."

Not looking at Booth, the Sheriff smiled, "You've been a tremendous asset Dr. Brennan. I won't forget what a wonderful job you did for us. Your stay at the Hampton Inn will of course be paid for by the county. "

Aware that Booth was being snubbed, Brennan glanced at Booth to see his face set in a blank mask. Turning Brennan informed the Sheriff, "My partner and I will be leaving tonight. We need to get back to D.C."

Reaching out and shaking Brennan's hand, the Sheriff continued to smile, "Whenever you're in town, let me know and I'll make sure you have a better time than you did this time."

Watching the Sheriff walk towards his car, Booth smirked, "I hope he gets heartburn."

Puzzled, Brennan shook her head, "I don't know what that means."

Flashing Brennan a smile, Booth pointed towards the Sheriff, "Eating crow is usually pretty disagreeable."

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Colonel Colfax walked into the tent to find Booth sitting on a chair near the entrance and Brennan talking to Master Sergeant Zimmerman towards the back of the tent. Nodding his head at Booth, the colonel stepped over to the table that was holding a young man's remains, "Dr. Brennan, I've been told you and Agent Booth are leaving tonight and I wanted to come by and thank you and Agent Booth for using your vacation to help us out. The Governor wanted me to let you know that he values your service and he asked me to tell you that if you're ever back in Ohio and you have the time, please drop by and see him. He'd like to thank you personally and he'd like to show you the hospitality of the great state of Ohio."

Handing a clip board to Zimmerman, Brennan responded, "The Master Sergeant is going to make arrangements to send the three unidentified males to the Jeffersonian. Booth and I plan to leave here in about an hour. We're then going to get our things from our motel room and start back towards D.C."

Nodding his head, the Colonel glanced at Booth and then back at Brennan, "We really do appreciate what you did, Dr. Brennan. I know you were snubbed the day you made your offer to help and I appreciate you overlooking it."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan responded, "The victims deserved closure, Colonel."

Glancing at the table holding the body of one of the young men in question, Colonel Colfax frowned, "Thank God our casualties weren't a lot."

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Brennan glanced fondly at her mate who was sleeping on the passenger side seat. Turning on the radio, she turned the volume down and played it softly, listening to a rock station she picked up outside of Wheeling, West Virginia.

_He'd followed the man through the back door, his weapon drawn. Running as fast as he could he followed the helmeted man through several back yards until they both came upon a yard with an in ground pool. The fleeing man had then grabbed a small boy standing near the back door of the house and held him up as a shield._

_Not able to get off a shot he moved closer only see the man dive into the pool with the boy in his arms. Diving in after him, he'd had to choose between the options of rescuing the boy or going after the serial killer who had begun his swim back to the surface of the pool. With no real choice he dove down further, grabbed the boy into his arms and swam back up to the surface. Hearing the boy chocking and catching his breath he knew he'd made the right decision._

His heart beating strongly, Booth awoke in a confused state. Looking wildly around he quickly realized that he was sitting in Brennan's car.

Brennan, aware that Booth had awakened from a bad dream, spoke in a soothing voice, "It's alright Booth. You just had a bad dream. You're in my car; so, please sit still."

Embarrassed, Booth turned his head and looked out at the dark shapes whizzing by in the dark, "Sorry."

Smiling, Brennan responded, "We're almost to Cumberland. I'm hungry so I think we'll stop there and get something to eat."

Nodding his head, Booth cleared his throat, "Tell you what. When we get back on the road, I'll drive and you can rest. You have to be tired and I'm pretty well rested. I can drive us the rest of the way home."

Glancing at Booth and then back at the road, Brennan agreed, "That sounds fine, Booth. I am a little tired."

Curious, she asked, "Booth, that carnival glass bowl that we looked at, at the garage sale, the one you said that your Grams had. What happened to it? Is it packed away somewhere?"

Rubbing his eyes, Booth wiped the grit out of the corners, "Jared broke it. It was an accident. He was dusting the sideboard and when he picked it up, it slipped out of his hands."

Glancing at her boyfriend's face, Brennan sighed, "It was very pretty."

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